Selling or installing valves in the EU (and several adjacent markets) means meeting the Pressure Equipment Directive 2014/68/EU. For buyers outside Europe, PED is often the least understood line on a datasheet — yet it decides whether your shipment clears the project’s document review.
How PED Classifies a Valve
PED sorts pressure accessories by risk: the fluid group (Group 1 = dangerous fluids like LNG, hydrogen, sour gas; Group 2 = benign like water, air), the DN, and PS×DN or PS×V product. That places the valve in SEP (Sound Engineering Practice — no CE mark permitted) or Categories I–IV (CE mark required, rising conformity involvement).
- Small valves on benign fluids → usually SEP.
- A DN150 Class 300 ball valve on natural gas → typically Category I–II.
- Large cryogenic valves on LNG → can reach Category III with notified-body involvement (module H, B+D etc.).
What the Buyer Should Check
- CE mark + category on the nameplate (and notified body number for Cat II+).
- EU Declaration of Conformity naming PED 2014/68/EU and the modules used.
- Materials with EN 10204 3.1 certificates from approved material manufacturers.
- For LNG/cryogenic: PED compliance plus BS 6364 / ISO 28921 type testing — see our cryogenic valve guide.
PED Outside the EU
The UK now uses UKCA marking (PED-equivalent, PER 2016); Türkiye applies PED via national regulation, so CE-marked valves are accepted; the Middle East commonly references PED in EPC specs even without legal force. This is why we treat PED documentation as standard for EMEA-bound industrial valves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a valve be “PED compliant” without a CE mark?
Yes — SEP category valves must NOT carry the CE mark under PED, but should still come with the manufacturer’s SEP declaration.
Is ASME B16.34 acceptance enough for Europe?
No. ASME design is fine technically, but the legal requirement is PED conformity — the manufacturer must have run the PED modules. Many API-standard valves are dual-certified.
Who is responsible for category calculation?
Formally the manufacturer; practically, your RFQ should state fluid group and conditions so the supplier can confirm category and marking. We do this check on every European inquiry.
