The short answer
CE is the mandatory market access mark for the European Union; for pressure equipment its main technical basis is PED 2014/68/EU (Pressure Equipment Directive). Valves are pressure equipment or pressure accessories: any valve with a maximum allowable pressure PS > 0.5 bar that falls within the scope of the Directive must be categorised, conformity-assessed and CE-marked under PED.
Scope and version of PED
- The current version is PED 2014/68/EU, which replaced 97/23/EC on 19 July 2016.
- Applies to pressure equipment (vessels, piping) and pressure accessories (such as valves, flanges, safety valves) with a maximum allowable pressure PS > 0.5 bar.
- Valves sold as pressure accessories must also comply with PED and carry the CE mark.
How the Category is determined
- Category is based on fluid group, maximum allowable pressure PS and DN (or volume), read from the classification charts in Annex II of the Directive.
- Fluid Group 1: hazardous fluids (flammable, toxic, oxidising, etc.);
- Fluid Group 2: non-hazardous fluids (water, air, steam, etc.).
- The result is Category I / II / III / IV. The higher the category, the stricter the conformity assessment; Category II and above normally require a Notified Body (such as TÜV, LR, DNV, BV or SGS), while Category I can generally be self-declared by the manufacturer.
- Category rises with size and pressure; at the same size, the threshold pressure for Group 1 hazardous fluids is lower than for Group 2.
Conformity assessment modules and the technical file
- Common modules include A (internal production control), A1, B (type examination) + C, B + D, B + F, D, D1, E and H, selected according to category.
- The technical file normally contains: design calculations and drawings, material certificates (EN 10204 3.1/3.2), welding and NDT records, pressure testing (EN 12266-1), risk assessment, the Declaration of Conformity (DoC), nameplate and CE marking.
- Where electric or pneumatic actuators are used in explosive atmospheres, ATEX 2014/34/EU also applies.
Common misconceptions
- Describing CE as "EU certification": PED is a system of manufacturer's declaration of conformity plus, depending on category, Notified Body involvement — not a certificate issued by a single body.
- Applying the CE mark without a proper classification assessment: a wrong category or module will be judged non-compliant by customs or by the end user's audit.
- Confusing PED (pressure equipment) with MD (Machinery Directive) and ATEX (explosive atmospheres) — the valve body and its actuator may fall under several directives at once.
For valve enquiries destined for the EU, we recommend locking down the fluid group, PS, DN, target Category and required document list at the technical clarification stage, after which the supplier organises assessment under the corresponding module.