tu COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
C0MC89) 638 final-SYN 234 
Brussels, 20 December 1989 
Proposal for a 
COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 
amending Directive 84/529/EEC on the 
approximation of the Laws of the Member States 
relating to electrically operated lifts 
(presented by the Commission) 
"~*-%ç4. 
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EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 
GENERAL 
1 . Subject 
This proposal for a Directive Is to modify Council 
Directive 84/529/EEC 1) on the approximation of the 
laws of the Member States relating to electrically 
operated lifts, last amended by Commission Directive 
86/312/EEC 2) of 18 June 1986, with a view to 
including in the scope lifts which are operated 
hydrauI IcaI I y or e I ectro-hydrau I IcaI ly. 
In effect, Directives 84/529/EEC and 86/312/EEC rely 
completely on European Standard EN 81 part 1 relating 
exclusively to electrically operated lifts, which was 
the only one existing at that time. In 1987 the 
European Committee for Standardization (CEN) published 
the second part of standard EN 81 relating to 
hydraulic and electro-hydraulic lifts. Logically this 
should be taken into account In the same manner as was 
standard EN 81 part 1 . 
2. Economic and social Impact 
In the market for lifts the economic impact of this 
proposal for a Directive Is very significant. 
Currently hydraulic lifts account for about 40 % of 
the total market for lifts. 
1) OJ No L 300 Of 19.11.1984 p. 86. 
;) J No L 196 of 1P.07.19S4 
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Before beginning the procedure for the proposal for 
amendment, the Commission carried out an inquiry which 
confirmed the existence of significant differences 
among Member States, particularly as regards 
administrative procedures on inspections and 
authorisations for placing on the market. 
The effect of this situation Is to reduce the market 
share of hydraulic lifts In the total lift market. In 
fact, In the absence of technical constraints, 
manufacturers and customers tend to choose electric 
lifts to avoid diversifying their productions and 
administrative harassment. 
Obviously, it is complicated to assess the 
significance of these transfers from one technology to 
the other. It' certainly succeeded In weakening the 
position of Community based hydraulic lifts 
manufacturers with respect to their competitors based 
outside the European Community. 
If the European institutions were to await the coming 
Into force of the new approach directives, 
particularly the directive concerning the 
approximation of the laws of the Member States 
relating to lifting appliances for persons, currently 
in preparation, they would maintain the present 
discrimination for several years, which could have 
catastrophic consequences on this technology, without 
good reason. 
Allowing this technology to remain and develop will 
result In maintaining employment. 
It should be noted that the safety level obtained by 
the proposal to amend directive 84/529/EEC is the same 
for hydraulic lifts as the existing level for electric 
lifts currently allowed in all the Member States. 
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I I 3. Consultation with the parties concerned 
The proposal to amend Directive 84/529/EEC has been 
brought forward at the request of technical committee 
TC 10 of the European Committee for Standardization, 
in which the manufacturers from the European 
Federation of Handling Industries (FEM), the 
Inspection bodies of the European Confederation of 
Inspection Organisations (CEOC) and the 
representatives of professional organisations 
concerned with construction of buildings are all 
par t I c i pants. 
THE PROPOSAL FOR A DIRECTIVE 
1 • Field of app I i cat Ion 
The content of the directive essentially concerns the 
extension of the field of application by amendment of 
the first Article of Directive 84/529/EEC and addition 
to the annex of a reference to part 2 of the standard 
EN 81 . 
2. Schedule for Implementation 
Given the urgency of the industry's problem, and the 
simplicity of the text, the schedule given to Member 
States for the transposition into national law has 
been reduced to three months. The coming Into force 
shall be at the latest at the expiry of these three 
months. 
It is recalled that Directive 84/529/EEC is of 
optional application and that transposition in 
national legislation does not require the amendment of 
existing national texts. 
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PROPOSAL FOR A 
COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 
AMENDING DIRECTIVE 84/529/EEC 
ON THE APPROXIMATION OF THE LAWS OF THE 
MEMBER STATES RELATING TO 
ELECTRICALLY OPERATED LIFTS 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic 
Community, and in particular Article 100a thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1), 
In cooperation with the European Parliament (2), 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social 
Comm11tee (3) , 
Whereas, in the Member States, the construction of 
hydrauI IcaI I y and eIectrohydrau I IcaI I y driven lifts and their 
inspection are the subject mandatory provisions which differ 
from one Member State to another and consequently impede 
trade, and whereas i.t is therefore necessary to approximate 
these provisions,; 
Whereas the regulations concerning installation, the tests 
carried out during inspections before putting Into service, 
and the checks on the functioning of such equipment have an 
influence on their construction, and whereas these differ from 
one Member State to another and that consequently they should 
also be harmonized, 
(1) OJ No 
(2) OJ No 
(3) OJ No 
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Whereas Council Directive 84/529/EEC (4); as amended by Commission 
Directive 86/312/EEC (5), is capable of applying, mutatis mutandis, 
to hydrauLica I Ly.or eLeetrohydrau I ica I ly operated lifts; 
Whereas the standard EN 81-1 on which Directive 84/529/EEC 
is based, has been extended since the publication of the Directive 
by a second part, EN 81-2, which relates to hydraulic and oil/ 
electric lifts; 
Whereas the extension of Directive 84/529/EEC Is urgent 
because the manufacturers are subject to significant technical 
barriers to Intra-CommunIty trade which threaten to compromise 
the market ; 
Whereas the measures aimed at the gradual establishment of the 
Internal market must be adopted by 31 December 1992; whereas 
the internal market consists of an area without Internal 
frontiers within which the free movement of goods, persons, 
services and capital Is guaranteed, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: 
Article 1 
Directive 84/529/EEC is amended as follows: 
(4) OJ No L 300/ 19.11.1984, p. 86. 
(5) OJ No L 196/ 18.07.1986, p. 56. 
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1. In Article 1 (2) third Indent the words "appliances 
actuated by fluids (such as oil or hydraulic lifts)" are 
de I eted, 
2. Annex 1, point 1 is replaced by the following : 
"1. The appliances referred to in Article 1 (1) must, with 
the exception of the sections referred to in point 2, 
comply with the following standards adopted by the 
European Committee for Standardization (CEN): 
EN 81-1 (edition: December 1985). Safety rules for the 
construction and installation of lifts and service 
l Ifts. 
Part 1: Electric lifts. 
EN 81-2 (edition: November 1987). Safety rules for the 
construction and Installation of lifts and service 
lifts. 
Part 2: HydraulIc I ifts." 
3. In Annex 1, point 2, the introductory words and the heading 
of point 2.1 are replaced by the following: 
"2. These standards shall apply subject to the following 
modi f i cat i ons: 
2.1. Section 12.4.2.1 (applies only for standard EN 81.1 
- edition: December 1985)" 
The remainder of the text of Annex I, point 2 is 
unchanged. 
Article 2 
1. Member States shall adopt and publish the laws, 
regulations and administrative provisions necessary In 
order to comply with this Directive within three months 
of the date of its notification. They shall forthwith 
Inform the Commission thereof. 
The provisions adopted pursuant to the first subparagraph shall 
make express reference to this Directive. 
2. Member States shall ensure that the texts of the provisions 
of national law which they adopt in the field covered by this 
Directive are communicated to the Commission. 
Article 3 
This Directive is addressed to the Member States. 
Done at Brussels For the Counc i I 
The Près i dent 
FICHE FINANCIERE 
relative à la proposition de modification de la directive du 
Conseil 3*/52C/CEE concsrnan*- la rapprochement *.'es 
législations des Etrts membres relative: ai'x ascenseuro mv.s 
é I ectr!çuement. 
La proposition de modification de la directive 84/529/CEE 
s'appuyant sur une norme existants, Il n'y a pas lieu de 
prévoir un mandat au CEN/CENELEC. 
La gestion de la modification c*3 la directive n'Introduira 
aucune charge supplémentaire pour les services de la 
Commlesion. 
L'Incidence financière d-3 I'?.et ion rrur les crédits 
d' Intervention, sur les crédits do personnel et les crédits d3 
fonctionnement est donc nulle. 
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F ICHE H' IMPACT SUP. LA COMPFTiT P' >TH TT L'E\"PLO 
Quelle ost la Justification pr In Mjia I *» de | a nosur e ? 
La fabrication des ascenseurs représente une part 
importante du marché d ' t bâtiment. La fabrication des 
ascenseurs hydrauliques reprisante à e ! i Q soûle 40 % du 
marché totai d 3 s ascenseur s. 
Or, dans ! ?s divers Et its membre?, ios législation -
nationales dans ce domaine divergent en .m&tlèrs de 
certification. SI, dans !e sec;:.:r des ascenseurs 
électriques, la directive optionnelle 84/529/CEE a permis 
aux fabricants de standardirer leurs fabrications, 
notamment pour les ^ompe^nts ~->umls à examen de type, 
rien n'a été fait pour les ascenseurs hydrauliques. 
La présont-3 proposition d<> modification de la directive 
84/529/Cî-s vise à assurer I?. libre mise sur le marché 
ainsi que la mise en service dec a:csnsp/!rs hydrauliques 
dans les mêmes conditions eue pour les ascenseurs 
61ectrlques . 
I 1 Caractéristiques des ent repr I se** "^nornét •:«?. 
Dans les vingt dernières années, lss regroupements d; 
sociétés ont entraîné la disparition presque totale des 
petites entreprises. Aussi bien pour la fabrication tas 
composants Q\.ie pour I ' I nnôn I èr : o et l'Installation, Us 
sociétés concernées sont d ' Import tr\c. •:• moyenne ou grands 
et travaillent sur des marchés élargis au moins à 
l'échelle europ^^nna, 
Note-t-on de*? concentration* dans f? réglons 
éll gib les aux ?ldes r •*<? lor. - ! e? tfe^ E.M. ? NON 
- eligible au FEDÎR ? NON 
Ou e 1 ! ^s 5? ont le s_ ob I \_n at Ions I mpos^e? a_u_x entreprises ? 
-a directive 84/529/CEE est d'asplication optionnel i3. 
Elle n'impose pas, à strictement parler, d'obligation s 
nouvelles aMx entreprises. Celles-ci peuvent continuer i 
fabriquer les ascenseurs hydraullcues comme par le pass 6. 
Toutefois, les entreprises qu! choisiraient de fabriquer 
conformément à la directive 8-/529/CEE devraient 
appliquer les prescriptions de la norme EN 81-2. 
IV Y-a-t-II des mesures spéciales pour les PME ? 
NON 
Que 1 e?t I ' e f fet prévisible ? 
Sur la compétitivité d t*. s e r. ,* .y p r I ? e s ? 
Dans la plupart des Etats membres, ies composants c ? 
sécurité utilisés dans un as^ers^ur doivent avoir subi 
un examen de type dans l'Etat membra. L'application de 
la directive 84/529/CEE modifiée permettra d'effectuer 
pour ces composants un seul examen CE de type valable 
dans tous les Etats membres. 
Par ailleurs, ies formalités de reception, et les 
dossiers nécessaires à ce* réceptions, seront les 
mômes dans tous les E . _ „ s membres. 
C a c 1 devrait entraîner une réduction du coût à la mise 
en servie: des ascenseurs hydrauliques et iaur 
restituer leur compétitivité avec les ascenseurs 
é I ect r I ques . 
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Sur I'empIol ? 
Le retour à la compétitivité du secteur permettra dans 
un premier temps le maintien de l'emploi. Le 
développement de nouveaux emplois est lié c" 
développement globM de la construction d'immeubles. 
VI Le?* partena i ras sociaux pnt-Ms 6té consul*^ ? 
La proposition ^modification de la directive 84/529/CEr. 
est faite a la demande du comité technique TC 10 du 
Comité européen de Norma M-.at Ion dans lequel on trouve 
les fabricants de la Fédération européenne de Manutention 
(FEM), les organismes de contrôle de la Confédération 
Européenne des Organismes de. Contrôle (CEOC) et des 
représentants des organisations prof t. ?<: ! onne l l es de la 
construction d'Immeubles. 
Toutes ces parties attendent avec Impatience la 
modification de la directive C4/5C3/CSE. 
ISSN 0254-1475 
GOM(89) 638 final 
DOCUMENTS 
EN 13 06 
Catalogue number : CB-CO-89-613-EN-C 
ISBN 92-77-56254-4 
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