scope:

INTRODUCTION

When the EC Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) 97/23/CE was adopted in May 1997, it became clear that pressure equipment designed and built to standards other than European standards could carry the CE mark. This was made possible by the European New Approach, in which Essential Safety Requirements (ESR) are established in the Directives, and standards are used to support them. The PED 97/23/CE has now been substantially amended and replaced by Directive 2014/68/EU, issued 15 May 2014. The new PED shall be applied no later than July 19, 2016, except that Article 13 shall be applied from June 1, 2015.

The purpose of this ASME PED Guide is to provide analysis of the PED and compare its ESR with the design, construction, and administrative requirements of ASME Section VIII, Division 1. The PED Guide is composed of three major portions. The first portion consists of Chapters I through X, which gives an overview of the PED, provides important basic information on the entire Directive, and identifies specific issues of higher importance. The next major portion is Chapters XI and XII, which provides a comparison of the PED and Section VIII, Division 1 requirements, including commentary on both, and an Annex Z for Section VIII, Division 1. Annex Z provides Section VIII Code users with instructions on how to augment their current practices to meet all ESRs of the PED. The third portion of this Guide gives a listing of approved CLAP interpretation sheets.

It is intent that this Guide will form the basis for an understanding between manufacturers and Notified Bodies regarding the use of ASME Section VIII, Division 1 as the basis for compliance with the PED. Having such a uniform approach will benefit not only manufacturers and Notified Bodies, but also users of pressure equipment

Several PED Information Resource Center websites provide the latest information on the status of European approval of materials, names, contact information for all Notified Bodies, and other valuable news and developments. These are:

• http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/pressure-and-gas/documents/ped/index_en.htm

• http://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/harmonised-standards/pressureequipment/ index_en.htm

• http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newapproach/nando/index.cfm?fuseaction=directive.notifiedbody& dir_id=19