Recast of the Lifts Directive 95/16/EC approved by EP

The European Parliament gave on 5th February its green light on the Recast of the Lifts Directive 95/16/EC, undertaken in 2011 in the framework of the implementation of the New Legislative Framework (NLF) adopted in 2008 as “the Goods Package”. After a long negotiation between the European Institutions, the EP backed the results of the trialogues with 650 votes in favour, 14 votes against and 10 abstentions. The new Recast is intended to clarify the interpretation and application of the legislation by the Member States, to avoid unequal market conditions and unsafe products placed on the market. The Directive will provide manufacturers, installers and authorities with clearer definitions, obligations of economic operators, presumption of conformity provided by harmonized standards, policy in submitting the Declaration of Conformity, CE marking, notified bodies and conformity assessment procedure. EFESME welcomes that the European Institutions finally found an agreement on this text, even though it regrets that the amendments proposed by EFESME to better protect the small and medium enterprises of the lift sector were not included in the document. EFESME will therefore take a careful look on how the new Directive will be implemented in the Member States and will monitor to ward off eventual side effects on the SMEs.