Transport safety: transportable pressure equipment

PURPOSE : to enhance safety with regard to transportable pressure equipment approved for the inland transport of dangerous goods by road and by rail and to ensure the free movement of such equipment within the Community, including the placing on the market and repeated putting into service and repeated use aspects. COMMUNITY MEASURE : Council Directive 1999/36/EC on transportable pressure equipment. CONTENT : for the purpose of this Directive, 'transportable pressure equipment' means : - all receptacles (cylinders, tubes, pressure drums, cryogenic receptables, bundles of cylinders); - all tanks, including demountable tanks, tank containers (mobile tanks), tanks of tank wagons, tank or receptacles of battery vehicles or battery wagons, tanks of vehicles. This definition excludes aerosol dispensers and gas cylinders for breathing, as well as equipment which is specifically used for transport operations between the European Communities and the third countries. The main measures of this directive concern : - the conformity assessment for the placing on the Community market of new transportable pressure equipment: the new receptacles and new tanks shall meet the relevant provisions of Directive 94/55/EC and 96/49/EC; - the conformity assessment for the placing on the national market of new transportable pressure equipment; - the reassessment conformity for existing transportable pressure equipment: the Directive foresees the setting up of a procedure aiming to evaluate a posteriori the demand of the owners and the holder, the conformity with the relevant provisions of the Annexes of Directives 94/555/EC and 96/49/EC, of the existing transportable pressure equipment in the putting into service before the date of application of the Directive. A measure is provided for the re-evaluation of valves and other accessories used for transport. If the results of the evaluation are satisfactory, then transportable pressure equipment must be subject to a periodic check. The Directive foresees the setting up of a procedure aiming at the creation of two bodies, the notified bodies (type A body) and the approved bodies (type B body). The Member States have the possibility to authorise the approved bodies to evaluate the recipient's conformity, including their valves and other accessories, destined to be placed on the national market and thus without Community markings. With the purpose of placing new equipment on the market, the Directive foresees the recognition of the agreements issued by inspection bodies (organisations designated by the Member States), whether they are internal or independent, and the affixing of recognised mark on the approved equipment; approval and marking in a single Member State will be sufficient to permit the placing on the market of the equipment or its use throughout the Community. It should be noted that inspection bodies have to fulfil common quality criteria in order to receive their designation from the national adminstrations. There is a provision for a safeguard clause where a Member State finds that transportable pressure equipment is liable toendanger the health and/or safety of persons. A Member State may retain its national provisions concerning devices intended for connection with other equipment and colour codes applicable to transportable pressure equipment until such time as European standards for use are added to the Annexes to Directives 94/55/EC and 96/49/EC. A transitional provision, of a maximum of two years, permits the placing on the market of transportable pressure equipment manufactured in accordance with national regulations in force prior to the implementation of the Directive. ENTRY INTO FORCE : 01/06/1999. DEADLINE FIXED FOR THE TRANSPOSITION :01/12/2000. Implementation at latest by 01/07/2001.�