At a glance
- PS of 0.5 bar or less: outside the directive. Note: PS is what you assign as maximum allowable pressure, not the operating pressure.
- Article 1(2) excludes 21 cases (a to u) — but almost always other legislation applies instead.
- Below the thresholds of Art. 4(1) but within the directive? Then Article 4(3) applies: sound engineering practice, no CE marking.
First hurdle: more than 0.5 bar
The directive applies to the design, manufacture and conformity assessment of pressure equipment and assemblies with a maximum allowable pressure PS greater than 0.5 bar. If PS stays at or below 0.5 bar, the equipment is outside the directive. That is not a category and not Article 4(3); it is outside the scope.
Do note that PS is the maximum allowable pressure the manufacturer assigns, not the operating pressure. A tank that sees 0.3 bar in service but whose manufacturer sets PS at 1 bar is inside the directive.
Second hurdle: the exclusions of Article 1(2)
Article 1(2) explicitly excludes twenty-one groups, from (a) to (u). Below, the exclusions that come up most in practice, with the letter and with what applies instead.
| Letter | What it covers | Where the argument starts | What applies instead* |
|---|---|---|---|
| a | Pipelines for conveying fluids to or from an installation, starting from and including the last isolation device within the installation | The exclusion does not cover standard pressure equipment such as found in pressure reduction or compression stations. The boundary is the last isolation device, not the fence. | pipeline legislation of its own; the equipment in stations falls under the PED as normal |
| b | Networks for the supply, distribution and discharge of water and associated equipment, penstocks, pressure tunnels and shafts | Water supply networks are out; a pressure vessel inside a pump house is not automatically. | drinking water and water management law |
| c | Simple pressure vessels under Directive 2014/29/EU | A vessel cannot fall under both directives. If it meets the simple pressure vessel definition, that directive applies, not the PED. | Directive 2014/29/EU — also CE, with its own PS·V thresholds |
| f | Equipment classified no higher than category I and covered by one of six named directives, including the machinery rules | This works only up to and including category I. From category II the PED applies after all, alongside the other legislation. | the named directive itself: machinery, lifts, low voltage, medical devices, gas appliances or ATEX |
| j | Equipment comprising casings or machinery where dimensioning, materials and fabrication rules are based primarily on strength, rigidity and stability | The most invoked and most misused exclusion. It covers parts where pressure is not the governing load, such as a gearbox. A process vessel is not that. | usually the machinery legislation |
| n | Ships, rockets, aircraft, mobile offshore units, and equipment specifically intended for installation on board or their propulsion | "Specifically intended" is the core. Standard equipment that happens to be on board is not covered. | maritime and aviation law; on board often the classification society's rules |
| r | Vessels for the transport and distribution of drinks with PS·V up to 500 bar·L and PS up to 7 bar | Both limits apply together. Exceed one and the exclusion lapses. | general product safety law |
| s | Equipment under the dangerous goods transport rules: Directives 2008/68/EC and 2010/35/EU, the IMDG Code and the Chicago Convention | A tank container falls under the transport regime, not the PED. A fixed tank on the same site does. | ADR/RID/IMDG and the TPED (2010/35/EU) with pi marking and its own re-inspection intervals |
| t | Radiators and pipes in warm water heating systems | The boiler itself is not covered by this exclusion; that is fired equipment. | building and installation rules; the boiler itself the PED as normal |
| u | Vessels for liquids with a gas pressure above the liquid of no more than 0.5 bar | An atmospheric storage tank with a small nitrogen blanket is covered as long as that blanket stays at or below 0.5 bar. | national in-service rules and storage codes |
* A reading aid, not an exhaustive list. For letters c, f and s the directive itself names the replacing legislation; the rest is practical guidance.
The remaining exclusions cover aerosol dispensers (d), vehicle equipment (e), defence items under Article 346 TFEU (g), nuclear items whose failure may cause an emission of radioactivity (h), well-control equipment in oil, gas and geothermal operations (i), blast furnaces and their cooling systems (k), enclosures for high-voltage equipment (l), pipes for containment of transmission systems such as cables (m), flexible casings such as tyres and balls (o), exhaust and inlet silencers (p) and bottles or cans for carbonated drinks (q).
Outside the PED is not outside everything
Two things often missed. First: exclusion (f) works only up to and including category I. A pressure vessel inside a machine that lands in category II falls under the PED after all, alongside the machinery legislation — and your declaration must show both regimes.
Second: in-service inspection is a separate national question with its own answer. For equipment operated in the Netherlands, see the page on the Dutch in-service regime.
The order you keep to
If you arrive at the bottom, determine the table via phase and fluid group, and with it the category and the permitted modules. Stuck at question 3? Read Article 4(3).
This order is not optional. Whoever starts at the bottom and skips the first three questions regularly ends up with a category for equipment the directive does not cover at all — with a CE marking that does not belong on it.
Frequently asked questions
From what pressure does the PED apply?
From a maximum allowable pressure PS greater than 0.5 bar. At or below 0.5 bar the equipment is outside the scope of the directive. PS is the maximum allowable pressure assigned by the manufacturer, not the operating pressure.
Does a pressure vessel inside a machine fall under the PED or the machinery rules?
That depends on the category. Article 1(2)(f) excludes equipment classified no higher than category I that is already covered by one of six named directives, including the machinery rules. If the vessel lands in category II or higher, the PED applies after all, alongside the other legislation.
Does a tank container fall under the PED?
No. Article 1(2)(s) excludes equipment covered by the dangerous goods transport rules: Directives 2008/68/EC and 2010/35/EU, the IMDG Code and the Chicago Convention. A fixed tank on the same site is not covered by that exclusion.
What does the exclusion for casings and machinery mean?
Article 1(2)(j) excludes equipment where the dimensioning, choice of materials and fabrication rules are based primarily on requirements of strength, rigidity and stability — where pressure is not the governing load. A gearbox is covered; a process vessel is not. This is the exclusion most often invoked wrongly.
Does an atmospheric storage tank with a nitrogen blanket fall under the PED?
Not as long as the gas pressure above the liquid is no more than 0.5 bar; Article 1(2)(u) excludes those vessels. If the blanket runs higher, the exclusion lapses and you assess the vessel under Annex II as normal.
Inside the directive — now what?
If your equipment is in scope, the free tool determines the table, the category and the permitted modules.
Run the free check or see the full report