Is IECEx certification accepted in the EU instead of ATEX?
Abstract
No. Ex equipment placed on the EU market must pass an ATEX conformity assessment under Directive 2014/34/EU and carry the CE and Ex marking with an EU declaration of conformity. IECEx test reports can support the notified body's work, but an IECEx certificate alone is not enough.
No. An IECEx certificate of conformity (CoC) has no legal standing in the European Union. Equipment for potentially explosive atmospheres can only be placed on the EU market after one of the conformity assessment procedures of Directive 2014/34/EU (ATEX), with the CE marking, the Ex marking and an EU declaration of conformity. IECEx test and quality reports can make the ATEX assessment faster, but they do not replace it.
Short answer
- ATEX is EU law; IECEx is a voluntary international certification scheme run under the IEC. Only the law decides market access in the EU.
- The same applies in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway (EEA), and ATEX is also applied in Switzerland and Türkiye through agreements with the EU.
- For category 1 and category 2 electrical equipment a notified body must be involved; an IECEx certification body that is not a notified body cannot issue the EU-type examination certificate.
- A notified body may take existing test reports, including an IECEx Ex Test Report (ExTR), into account, but it remains fully responsible for the result.
- For category 3 equipment the manufacturer declares conformity himself and may use IECEx test results as evidence in his technical file, but he still has to issue the EU declaration and affix the CE and Ex marking.
- Employers in the EU must select equipment by ATEX category for each zone (Directive 1999/92/EC), so an IECEx-only product does not meet the selection rule either.
Why an IECEx certificate cannot replace ATEX
Directive 2014/34/EU lists the conformity assessment procedures (modules) that are allowed for each equipment category in Article 13, and Article 16 requires the CE marking to be followed, where a notified body is involved in production control, by that body's four-digit identification number. A notified body is a body notified by an EU Member State to the European Commission for this directive. Neither the directive nor the Commission's ATEX Guidelines (6th edition, January 2026) recognise IECEx documents as an alternative route.
The IECEx scheme says the same from its side. Its own FAQ describes ATEX as the system set up for the EU and states that ATEX is all that is required to sell Ex products in the EU, although customers often ask for IECEx as well. IECEx is endorsed by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) as a model for national regulation, but endorsement is not EU law.
The technical basis is also different. ATEX requires compliance with the essential health and safety requirements of Annex II of the directive; using European harmonised standards (EN and EN IEC 60079 and ISO 80079 parts listed in the Official Journal) gives a presumption of conformity. IECEx requires full compliance with the IEC standards listed on the certificate. The EN and IEC editions are often technically identical, but the harmonised edition can lag behind or carry European differences.
The user side follows the same logic. Annex II, part B of Directive 1999/92/EC requires equipment in zones to be selected on the basis of the ATEX categories (category 1 in Zone 0 or 20, category 1 or 2 in Zone 1 or 21, category 1, 2 or 3 in Zone 2 or 22), unless the explosion protection document based on a risk assessment states otherwise. An IECEx certificate shows an equipment protection level (EPL), not an ATEX category.
How IECEx documents shorten the ATEX route
| Document | Can it be used for ATEX? |
|---|---|
| IECEx CoC | No legal value in the EU; useful only as background information |
| IECEx ExTR (test report) | Yes, as input: the notified body may accept test results and must state this in its report |
| IECEx QAR (quality assessment report) | Not a QAN; a notified body issues the quality assurance notification after an assessment under the directive, which can often be combined with the IECEx audit |
| Manufacturer's own technical file | Required in every case |
The ATEX Guidelines explain that test reports can be part of the technical documentation presented to the notified body, which may take them into consideration. The acceptance must follow ISO/IEC 17025 principles, and the notified body stays fully responsible for the EU-type examination certificate based on them. In practice the notified body checks that the ExTR covers the edition of each standard harmonised in the EU and adds any missing tests or assessments.
Example: A manufacturer holds an IECEx CoC for a flameproof junction box, Ex db IIC T6 Gb, and wants to sell it in Germany. It applies to a notified body for an EU-type examination (Annex III) and a quality assurance notification under Annex VII (product quality assurance, one of the two production modules the directive allows for category 2 electrical equipment), submitting the ExTR and the IECEx QAR. The body reviews the reports against the harmonised EN editions, accepts the ExTR tests it judges adequate instead of repeating them, audits the factory and issues the EU-type examination certificate. The box is then marked with CE, the notified body number, II 2 G and the Ex marking, and ships with an EU declaration of conformity.
Where one organisation is both a notified body and an IECEx certification body, the two certifications can often be planned as one programme from the start, which is cheaper than converting afterwards.
Common mistakes
- Accepting an IECEx CoC in an EU tender as proof of ATEX conformity. Ask for the EU declaration of conformity and, for categories 1 and 2 electrical equipment, the EU-type examination certificate.
- Assuming the same marking string means the same approval.
Ex db IIC T6 Gbcan appear under both schemes; only the CE marking, the category symbol and the EU declaration show ATEX conformity. - Treating an IECEx QAR as an ATEX QAN. The quality assurance notification is a separate document issued by a notified body under Annex IV or VII of the directive.
Related on excodex
- ATEX vs IECEx: differences, similarities and which one you need
- The IECEx scheme explained: CoC, ExTR, QAR and the online certificate database
- Can an IECEx test report (ExTR) be used to obtain ATEX certification?
- Is IECEx certification a legal requirement anywhere?
- Standards spaces: ATEX 2014/34/EU, IECEx
Standards and further reading
- Directive 2014/34/EU (ATEX equipment directive), Article 13 conformity assessment procedures and Article 16 CE marking: legislation.gov.uk and Article 16
- Directive 1999/92/EC (ATEX workplace directive), Annex II part B, selection of equipment by category: legislation.gov.uk
- European Commission, ATEX 2014/34/EU Guidelines, 6th edition, January 2026 (section on acceptance of test results by notified bodies): ec.europa.eu
- IECEx, FAQ on the certified equipment scheme (IECEx and ATEX): iecex.com
- IECEx and UNECE common regulatory framework: iecex.com
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.