Simple Pressure Vessels Directive (SPVD) 2014/29/EU
Directive 2014/29/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of simple pressure vessels — the "SPVD" — replaced Directive 2009/105/EC and has applied since 20 April 2016. It covers welded vessels manufactured in series, made of non-alloy quality steel, non-alloy aluminium or non-age-hardening aluminium alloys, intended to contain air or nitrogen at gauge pressure greater than 0.5 bar. Published as OJ L 96, 29.3.2014, p. 45.
Legal status and timeline
- Adoption: 26 February 2014.
- Date of application: 20 April 2016.
- Repeal of Directive 2009/105/EC: 20 April 2016.
- Status (October 2026): applies, as amended by Directive (EU) 2024/2749 (emergency procedures for an internal market emergency, applicable from 30 May 2026).
Scope: products covered
The Directive applies to vessels manufactured in series meeting all of the following criteria (Article 1(1)):
- Welded, intended to be subjected to an internal gauge pressure greater than 0.5 bar and to contain air or nitrogen, and not intended to be fired;
- Parts and assemblies contributing to strength under pressure made of non-alloy quality steel, non-alloy aluminium or non-age-hardening aluminium alloys;
- Made of either a cylindrical part of circular cross-section closed by outwardly dished or flat ends revolving around the same axis, or two dished ends revolving around the same axis;
- Maximum working pressure PS not exceeding 30 bar, and PS × V (product of maximum working pressure in bar and capacity in litres) not exceeding 10,000 bar·L;
- Minimum working temperature −50°C; maximum working temperature 300°C for steel, 100°C for aluminium.
Exclusions (Article 1(2))
- Vessels specifically designed for nuclear use, failure of which may cause an emission of radioactivity;
- Vessels specifically intended for installation in or the propulsion of ships and aircraft;
- Fire extinguishers.
Below threshold
Vessels with PS × V ≤ 50 bar·L are not subject to the Annex I essential safety requirements or to the conformity assessment procedures of Article 13. They are not CE-marked under the SPVD but must be designed and manufactured in accordance with sound engineering practice in one of the Member States (Article 4(2)) and bear the inscriptions laid down in Annex III, point 1.2 (Article 6(2)).
Relationship with the PED
Vessels covered by the SPVD are excluded from the Pressure Equipment Directive 2014/68/EU by PED Article 1(2)(c). The SPVD is therefore the applicable directive for vessels meeting its specific criteria; the PED applies to other pressure equipment.
Categories
Directive 2014/29/EU does not use named categories; the applicable procedures depend on the PS × V product (Article 13):
- PS × V > 3,000 bar·L — most stringent production-phase route.
- 200 bar·L < PS × V ≤ 3,000 bar·L.
- 50 bar·L < PS × V ≤ 200 bar·L.
- PS × V ≤ 50 bar·L — sound engineering practice, no CE marking.
Worked examples
| Vessel | PS × V | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Welded steel air tank, 8 bar, 5 L | 40 bar·L | Sound engineering practice and inscriptions; no CE marking |
| Welded steel air receiver, 6 bar, 30 L | 180 bar·L | Module B, then Module C1 or Module C |
| Welded steel air receiver, 10 bar, 100 L | 1,000 bar·L | Module B, then Module C1 or Module C2 |
| Welded steel air receiver, 11 bar, 500 L | 5,500 bar·L | Module B, then Module C1 |
| Welded vessel, 30 bar, 500 L | 15,000 bar·L | Above the 10,000 bar·L limit: PED |
| Stainless steel welded vessel, 10 bar, 100 L | 1,000 bar·L | Not non-alloy quality steel: PED |
| Vessel for an inert gas other than nitrogen, 10 bar, 100 L | 1,000 bar·L | Not air or nitrogen: PED |
Essential safety requirements (Annex I)
Annex I sets the essential safety requirements in four sections: materials; vessel design (including calculation of wall thickness or design by experiment, and accessories); manufacturing processes (including welding qualification); and putting into service of the vessels. The Annex includes calculation rules for wall thickness and stress limits.
Conformity assessment procedures
Article 13 and Annex II provide the following. Module B is performed before manufacture and the production module before placing on the market:
- All vessels above 50 bar·L — EU-type examination (Module B). Design type is available only for vessels manufactured in accordance with harmonised standards; otherwise a prototype of the complete vessel must be submitted. It is followed by:
- Above 3,000 bar·L — Module C1 (conformity to type based on internal production control plus supervised vessel testing).
- 200–3,000 bar·L — Module C1, or Module C2 (conformity to type plus supervised vessel checks at random intervals).
- 50–200 bar·L — Module C1, or Module C (conformity to type based on internal production control).
A Notified Body is always involved through Module B. Under Article 16(3), the CE marking is followed by the identification number of the Notified Body involved in the production control phase, which applies to Modules C1 and C2. Under Module C no Notified Body takes part in production, so no number follows the CE marking on that basis.
Technical documentation
Annex II Module-specific provisions set the documentation contents — design calculations, welding procedure qualification, material certificates (typically EN 10204 3.1), NDT documentation, test reports. Retention: 10 years after the vessel has been placed on the market (Article 6(3)). See technical documentation.
EU Declaration of Conformity
Article 14 and Annex IV set the contents. See EU Declaration of Conformity.
Marking and labelling
Articles 15 and 16 govern the CE marking and the Notified Body identification number. Annex III, point 1.1, requires the CE marking with the last two digits of the year in which it was affixed, and point 1.2 requires inscriptions on the vessel or its data plate: maximum working pressure PS, maximum and minimum working temperatures, capacity V, the manufacturer's name, registered trade name or registered trade mark and address, and the type and serial or batch identification. A data plate must be designed so that it cannot be reused. Instructions must cover the intended use and the maintenance and installation requirements (Annex III, point 2). For vessels at or below the 50 bar·L threshold, the Annex III point 1.2 inscriptions are required but no CE marking applies.
Harmonised standards
EN 286 series — Simple unfired pressure vessels designed to contain air or nitrogen. Parts cover general-purpose vessels (286-1), vessels for air braking and auxiliary systems of motor vehicles and their trailers (286-2), and steel and aluminium alloy vessels for air braking and auxiliary pneumatic equipment of railway rolling stock (286-3 and 286-4). Harmonised standards matter here for two reasons: they give presumption of conformity, and Module B design type is only open to vessels built to them. See harmonised standards.
Recent and upcoming changes
The only amendment to the Directive since its adoption is Directive (EU) 2024/2749, which adds emergency procedures that operate only when an internal market emergency is activated (applicable from 30 May 2026). The EN 286 series has been periodically revised; current dated editions are listed in the OJEU.
Related legislation
- Pressure Equipment Directive 2014/68/EU — applies to pressure equipment not within SPVD scope.
- Directive 2010/35/EU (TPED) — covers transportable pressure equipment.
- ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU — applies in parallel where vessels are used in explosive atmospheres.
- Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 — applies in parallel to machinery that includes a vessel, such as an air compressor package. The vessel keeps its own SPVD conformity.
Common errors
- CE marking on vessels at or below 50 bar·L. These vessels are not CE-marked under the SPVD.
- Citing both directives. PED Article 1(2)(c) excludes vessels covered by the SPVD, so a single vessel should not be declared under both.
- Use for fluids other than air or nitrogen. Vessels in scope of the SPVD must contain air or nitrogen. Use with other fluids takes the vessel out of SPVD scope and into the PED.
- Missing material traceability documents. EN 10204 3.1 (or equivalent) certificates are typically required by EN 286 for steel grades.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate PS × V for a simple pressure vessel?
Multiply the maximum working pressure PS in bar by the capacity V in litres. A 10 bar vessel of 100 L is 1,000 bar·L. The result sets the procedure under Article 13.
Do simple pressure vessels need a Notified Body?
Above 50 bar·L, yes: Module B always involves one. At or below 50 bar·L, no. Those vessels follow sound engineering practice, carry the Annex III inscriptions and are not CE-marked.
Is an air compressor tank under the SPVD or the PED?
A welded, unfired, series-made steel or aluminium tank that meets all Article 1(1) criteria is under the SPVD. A tank outside those criteria, for example in stainless steel or above 10,000 bar·L, is assessed under the PED.
What is the difference between the SPVD and the PED?
The SPVD is a narrow directive for one type of series-made vessel, with a PS × V based route. The PED covers pressure equipment generally, classified by fluid group, pressure and volume or size. Vessels covered by the SPVD are excluded from the PED.
Sources
- Directive 2014/29/EU (SPVD) — OJ text; consolidated text of 30 May 2026.
- European Commission — SPVD sector page.
- Commission Notice — Blue Guide 2022 — EUR-Lex.