What does ATEX stand for, and why are there two ATEX directives?

ATEX is an abbreviation of the French atmosphères explosibles, "explosive atmospheres". It is the informal name of two European Union directives: Directive 2014/34/EU, which sets what equipment and protective systems must meet before they are sold, and Directive 1999/92/EC, which sets what employers must do where explosive atmospheres can occur at work. There are two because EU law handles product rules and worker protection under different legal bases.

Short answer

• ATEX = ATmosphères EXplosibles, the wording used in the French text of the directives. Neither directive has "ATEX" in its official title.
• Directive 2014/34/EU (the equipment or product directive, often called "ATEX 114"): manufacturers, importers and distributors of equipment, protective systems, safety devices and components. It has applied since 20 April 2016 and replaced Directive 94/9/EC.
• Directive 1999/92/EC (the workplace or user directive, often called "ATEX 137"): employers whose workers may be at risk from explosive atmospheres. Member States had to apply it by 30 June 2003.
• The product directive fixes one set of requirements for the whole single market; the workplace directive sets minimum requirements that national law may exceed.
• The two meet at equipment selection: the employer classifies zones, and the categories defined by the product directive tell him which equipment may be used in each zone.

Where the name comes from

The French title of Directive 2014/34/EU refers to equipment and protective systems intended for use en atmosphères explosibles. The first two letters of each word, AT and EX, give ATEX, and the European Commission's own ATEX Guidelines explain the name the same way. The same abbreviation is used in every language, so a German, Turkish or English speaker says "ATEX" too.

Both directives use the same definition of an explosive atmosphere: a mixture with air, under atmospheric conditions, of flammable gases, vapours, mists or dusts in which, after ignition, combustion spreads to the entire unburned mixture. The guide What is an explosive atmosphere? explains each part of that definition.

The numbers in the nicknames are article numbers of the EU treaties, not years. "ATEX 114" refers to Article 114 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), the internal market article on which 2014/34/EU is based. "ATEX 137" refers to Article 137 of the EC Treaty, the social policy article cited by 1999/92/EC. Since the Lisbon Treaty that article is Article 153 TFEU (the treaty text is headed "ex Article 137 TEC"), so some texts write "ATEX 153" for the same workplace directive.

Why there are two directives

The split follows who controls the risk and which EU power applies.

The product directive exists so that compliant equipment can be sold everywhere in the single market without separate national approvals. Member States may not prohibit, restrict or impede compliant products (Article 5). In return, the manufacturer must design the product to the essential health and safety requirements of Annex II, complete the conformity assessment for its category, issue the EU declaration of conformity and affix the CE marking.

The workplace directive protects people. It is the 15th individual directive under the framework directive on safety and health at work, 89/391/EEC. The employer must prevent explosive atmospheres where possible, otherwise avoid their ignition, and mitigate the effects of an explosion; assess the explosion risks; classify hazardous places into zones; and draw up an Explosion Protection Document before work starts.

A manufacturer cannot know where its pump or motor will be installed, and an employer cannot redesign a motor. Each directive therefore puts the duty on the party that controls that part of the risk.

How the two fit together in practice

Annex II, Part B of 1999/92/EC links the zones to the equipment categories of the product directive, unless the Explosion Protection Document, based on a risk assessment, states otherwise:

Common mistakes

• "ATEX is a standard." ATEX is law. Standards such as the EN IEC 60079 series are voluntary tools; harmonised standards give a presumption of conformity with the product directive's requirements they cover.
• "ATEX certified site" or "ATEX certified engineer". The directives certify neither sites nor people. Products go through conformity assessment; workplaces are assessed by the employer.
• Thinking ATEX is only about electrical equipment. The product directive also covers non-electrical equipment that has its own potential ignition source, such as pumps, fans and gearboxes.

Related on excodex

• ATEX explained: the two EU directives 2014/34/EU and 1999/92/EC in plain language
• What is an explosive atmosphere? Fire triangle, explosion pentagon and why ATEX exists
• Who is responsible for ATEX compliance: the manufacturer, the installer or the employer?
• Does ATEX apply outside the European Union?
• Standards spaces: ATEX 2014/34/EU, ATEX 1999/92/EC

Standards and further reading

• Directive 2014/34/EU on equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres (recast), English text: EUR-Lex; French text with the term atmosphères explosibles: EUR-Lex FR
• Directive 1999/92/EC on minimum requirements for improving the safety and health protection of workers potentially at risk from explosive atmospheres, Official Journal text: legislation.gov.uk
• European Commission, ATEX page and the ATEX 2014/34/EU Guidelines, 6th edition (January 2026): single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu
• HSE (UK), ATEX and explosive atmospheres: hse.gov.uk
• EU-OSHA summary of Directive 1999/92/EC: osha.europa.eu
• Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Article 153 (ex Article 137 TEC): legislation.gov.uk

This article is general technical information prepared by the excodex editorial team. It does not replace the applicable standards, the equipment certificates and instructions, national regulations or the assessment of a competent person.