Harmonized European Norms

Another method - common to all members of the European Union - has been to declare the CENELEC Standards as Harmonized European Norms (HN) on the basis of a directive issued by an authority of the European Union (council or commission). This procedure is described in Section 3.2.2. 

This process generates subsequent sets of Harmonized European Norms, forming the basis for a harmonized certification procedure in all EC member states. Table 3.7 gives an overview, condensing the different standards and their amendments to generations of certificates of conformity. 

A certificate of conformity (there should be a supplement with Harmonized European Norms ) is the usual procedure for type testing and approval... 

Table 3.7(a) Part A Harmonized European Norms (HN) - firedamp-proof equipment (Group I apparatus)... 

Besides the certificate of conformity, there is a rather less common way of certification the control certificate. This relates to apparatus not complying with Harmonized European Norms (HN). It is the decision of a notified body to ensure the equivalent level of safety with respect to well-defined types of protection according to the HN. The notified body informs all other notified bodies after an appropriate safety assessment. If there is no contradiction within a 4-month period, the notified body issues the control certificate. 

Apparatus approved by a notified body (certificate of conformity, control certificate) shall be marked by the manufacturer with an Ex in a hexagon according to Fig. 3.1(a). This mark ensures the compliance of the individual apparatus with the specimen tested by the notified body and ensures that all routine tests according to the relevant Harmonized European Norms (if a certificate of conformity has been issued) or all routine tests prescribed in the control certificate have been carried out and passed successfully. According to Directive 82/130/EEC, apparatus with a control certificate shall be marked with an additional S in a circle (see Fig. 3.1 (b)). 

Harmonized European Norms (HN). Group I equipment shall be additionally marked with an Tin a circle according to Directive 82/130/EEC. (b) Marking of Group I equipment in case of a control certificate according to Directive 82/130/EEC. For Group II equipment with a control certificate , the I in the circle shall be deleted. 

These notified bodies have introduced a type of certificate without any legal status the component certificate, which is marked by a U following the certificate number. This document acts as a working instrument for a simpler handling of components like conductor bushings, terminal blocks or inspection windows. The notified body issuing such a component certificate herewith declares the conformity with the relevant Harmonized European Norm and the relevant type tests. Other notified bodies accept this document without asking for renewed type tests. In this way, components can be handled in a very efficient... 

In addition to the Harmonized European Norms, some directives contain -similar to a standard - technical requirements for electrical apparatus and cables. Especially Directive 82/130/EEC modifies the technical content of standards ... 

In addition, the Ex-mark in a hexagon (see Fig. 3.1(a)), in the special case of Group I apparatus complying with the so-called A generation of Harmonized European Norms (HN) completed by an T in a circle, or, for apparatus with a control certificate, completed by an S in a circle (see Fig. 3.1(b)), shall be affixed to all the apparatus tested and certified according to the article 100 directives (see Table 3.6). 

As a next step, the directives covering the field of explosion protection within the European Community have overtaken this T)ypass regardless of Harmonized European Norms (HN), see Table 3.7. Articles 4 and 9 of Directive 82/130/EEC (for mines endangered by firedamp and/or combustible dusts) and of Directive 76/117/EEC (for areas hazardous due to combustible gases, vapours and mists) have opened the way for a control... 

The harmonization of measurements and technical specifications is a continuous process, and is achieved either by means of Community Directives or the establishment of European Norms. However, this does not solve all the problems. Indeed, the measurements and analyses required for the implemen-... 

There are several ways for product and machine manufacturers to show compliance with the European directives. However, only one way presumes conformity— the use of harmonized European standards. This is why I strongly recommend the application of harmonized standards, also known as European Norms (ENs). Standards play an important role in European Union safety/EMC compliance for products and machines. Standards become valid in Europe after they are published in the Official Journal and are transposed into member states national standards. The ENs are listed or appended to the directives themselves. 

European standards are clearly the main path toward conformity. Although use of European standards is voluntary in one sense, European harmonized standards have become the technical governing rules and are in reality the obligatory way for manufacturers to reduce uimecessaiy risks and to meet the EU directives. In practice, only published European harmonized standards, such as ENs (EN = European Norm), should be used to show conformity. European harmonized standards (ENs) offer the simplest means of meeting the essential health and safety requirements (EHSRs) of the directives. 

Terms CE = European Conformity, EN = European Norm (EU harmonized standard), ER = Essential Requirements (of the Directives), CB = Certification Body, NCB = National Certification Body, S/N = Serial Number (tested sample[s]), TRF = Test Report Format, OJEC = Official Journal of the European Communities. 

The safety requirements shall be identical worldwide and must be standardized internationally. This is provided by the lEC (International Electrotechnical Commission). Within Europe national standards can form trade barriers, which must be harmonized. This work is done by CENELEC (European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation). Actually the safety standards for stationary batteries and battery installations are being drafted to become a European Norm. The norms for traction batteries and portable batteries will follow. 

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