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 serial-produced welded vessels of carbon steel or non-alloy aluminium intended to contain air or nitrogen at gauge pressure greater than 0.5 bar, with specific limits on stored energy. 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 in May 2026: applies.
Scope: products covered
Article 1 applies to vessels meeting all of the following criteria (Article 2(1)):
- Welded simple pressure vessels;
- Made of unalloyed steel or unalloyed aluminium / non-age-hardening aluminium alloys;
- Not exposed to a flame;
- Intended to contain air or nitrogen;
- Designed to operate with internal gauge pressure greater than 0.5 bar;
- 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;
- Vessels intended for installation in or for use as part of the propulsion of ships and aircraft;
- Fire extinguishers.
Below threshold
Vessels with PS × V ≤ 50 bar·L are excluded from the SPVD's conformity assessment (Article 13(2)). They are not CE-marked under the SPVD but must be manufactured in conformity with sound engineering practice in use in a Member State and bear specific identifying inscriptions.
Relationship with the PED
Vessels in scope of the SPVD are excluded from the Pressure Equipment Directive 2014/68/EU by PED Article 1(2)(j)(vi). The SPVD is therefore the applicable directive for vessels meeting its specific criteria; the PED applies to other pressure equipment.
Categories
Vessels are assigned to categories based on stored energy:
- Category A.1 — PS × V > 3,000 bar·L. Requires the most stringent conformity assessment route.
- Category A.2 — 50 bar·L < PS × V ≤ 3,000 bar·L.
Essential safety requirements (Annex I)
Annex I sets the essential safety requirements: design (calculation of pressure resistance, design coefficient, materials, welding procedure, parts and protective equipment); manufacture (forming, welding qualification, traceability, testing); inspection. The Annex includes specific calculation methods for stress-coefficient values that have effectively standardised material and weld qualification approaches.
Conformity assessment procedures
Article 13 and Annex II provide:
- Category A.1 (above 3,000 bar·L) — Module B (EU type-examination) followed by:
- Module C1 (conformity to type with random product tests), or
- Module C2 (random checks by Notified Body).
- Category A.2 (50–3,000 bar·L) — Module B followed by Module C (internal production control to type) plus product checks at random intervals by a Notified Body.
Notified Body involvement is required throughout. The four-digit identification number appears next to the CE mark.
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 (Article 7(7)). See technical documentation.
EU Declaration of Conformity
Article 14 and Annex IV. See EU Declaration of Conformity.
Marking and labelling
Article 16 requires the CE marking with the Notified Body identification number. Annex III requires inscriptions on the vessel (manufacturer's name and address, type designation, serial or batch identification, maximum working pressure PS, maximum and minimum working temperatures TS, capacity V, year of manufacture, and a pictogram of any restrictions). For vessels below the 50 bar·L threshold, only manufacturer identification and basic safety inscriptions are required; no CE marking applies.
Harmonised standards
EN 286 series — Simple unfired pressure vessels designed to contain air or nitrogen. Parts cover general (286-1), road and rail vehicle braking and pneumatic systems (286-2, 286-4), and rolling stock applications (286-3). See harmonised standards.
Recent and upcoming changes
The SPVD has not undergone structural amendment since 2016. 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 where vessels form part of machinery.
Common errors
- CE marking on vessels below 50 bar·L. Vessels below this threshold are not CE-marked under the SPVD.
- Treating the PED as applying. The SPVD excludes the PED for vessels in its scope. Cross-listing both is incorrect.
- 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.
Sources
- Directive 2014/29/EU (SPVD) — EUR-Lex consolidated text.
- European Commission — SPVD sector page.
- Commission Notice — Blue Guide 2022 — EUR-Lex.