Step by step

After World War II, Western European nations established the Council of Europe in 1949. That was the first step to formalise after mutual cooperation. Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands went one step further, signing the Coal and Steel Treaty in 1951 to jointly manage their heavy industries. Rationale: this way, none of the countries could make weapons of war individually to turn against the other.?

That treaty was later extended to other economic sectors. On 25 March 1957, the six countries signed the Treaty of Rome, creating the EEC. The European Economic Community. Import duties on mutually imported goods were abolished, and the world's largest trading group was born. In 1973, Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom joined. Greece joined in 1981, and Spain and Portugal followed in 1986.

EU?

A few years later, in 1992, the treaty for the European Union was signed. That was an important milestone for the EU. Clear rules were set out for the future common currency, foreign and security policies, and for closer cooperation in justice and home affairs. In 1993, the common market became a reality. This was the start of free movement of goods, services, people and money.?

End of the split?

Finland, Austria and Sweden joined the EU in 1995. With this addition, the 15 member states encompassed almost all of Western Europe. The Treaty of Amsterdam (1997) built on the Maastricht Treaty, including plans to reform the EU institutions. To strengthen Europe's international position. To allocate more resources for employment and citizens' rights. Between 2004 and 2007, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania, Cyprus and Malta also joined the EU. The division of Europe that the great powers had brought about 60 years earlier was coming to an end.?

Lisbon?

On 13 December 2007, the 27 EU countries signed the Lisbon Treaty, which amends the previous treaties. It was designed to make the EU more democratic, efficient and transparent, and to better address current issues such as climate change, security and sustainable development. The Lisbon Treaty was ratified by all EU countries and became effective on 1 December 2009.

ATEX 114

As you can imagine, all those changes had an effect on the Directives. Of the Lisbon Treaty now in force, Section 114 is the basis for the current directive published in 2014. This ATEX directive serves to replace ATEX 95 (94/9/EC), which had been applicable for more than 20 years. The main reason for the new edition was to create a uniform legal framework for all product safety directives.

ATEX 153

Directive 1999/92/EC, known as the ATEX 137, was recently renamed ATEX 153. It is one of the so-called 'special directives' that establish requirements relating to working conditions (Arbo) in specific industries. In this case, this applies to workers who perform work in areas subject to explosion risks due to the presence of flammable substances (gas, mist, vapour, dust). It sets out the minimum safety requirements for employers to provide a healthy and safe working environment for workers who may be at risk due to explosive atmospheres. In the Netherlands, this guideline is integrated in the Arbo laws and regulations. Mandatory compliance with these ATEX requirements has applied to all employers since 1 July 2006.?

And the future?

IECEx stands for ‘International Electrotechnical Commission system for certification to standards relating to equipment for use in Explosive atmospheres’. The purpose of the IECEx system is to facilitate global trade in explosion-proof equipment and services while ensuring the required safety. Currently, the IECEx system is the prevailing legislation in Australia and New Zealand only. The goal is to eventually grow into a global system.