"ATEX" is the common name for European Directive 2014/34/EU, which came into effect in 2003. 2014/34/EU has the title "ATEX" - short for "Atmospheres Explosibles", or "Potentially Explosive Atmospheres" in French.

Directive 2014/34/EU is mandatory in the EU, which covers nearly all of Europe. It has no force in North America, but may be required by other countries wishing to follow the EU standards.

Those wishing ATEX compliance will need to fulfill several mandatory items:

First, your company must have a proper quality control system. In the past, an ISO 9000 system was a de facto requirement for doing business in the European Union, but ISO alone is no longer considered sufficient. Instead, for hazardous location products, it is necessary to follow EN 80079-34, which may be described as "ISO 9000 Plus". The "Plus" aspects are specific requirements for hazardous locations. Therefore, if you have an ISO 9001 registration, that will get you most (but not all) of the way towards a successful ATEX quality audit.

Secondly, ATEX compliance for the product itself must be assessed by a Notified Body. The agency will certify against the relevant CENELEC standards, and issue an EC Type Examination Certificate. (There are exceptions for Zone 2 products, which are self-assessed, but this is often a difference that makes no difference.) By this point, most of the CENELEC standards have been harmonized to the IEC 60079 standards.

(By time of writing, most North American agencies have also become ATEX Notified Bodies, but not all. Many that are have purchased their Notified Body partner, while those who have not sometimes partner with independent European agencies to perform ATEX assessments. Companies can also obtain ATEX certification from European agencies directly, without involving a North American agency.)

Thirdly, the product must have a Technical File that documents ATEX compliance. The agency may audit the Technical File of a certified product at any time.

Note that Directive 2014/34/EU does not actually say how to make products suitable for hazardous locations. This is covered by the published CENELEC standards, which provide a "presumption of conformity" to the Directive. Thus, ATEX exists above the specific standards for hazardous locations.

In practical terms, this generally means that in order to get ATEX, you must comply with the standards from the IEC scheme (i.e. IECEx). The IEC issues standards intended for international requirements, while ATEX covers only the European Union, so many manufacturers do both in order to get the widest possible market penetration.

ATEX certification is often confused with CE. Nearly all products destined for the European Union require a CE mark, but not all are intended for explosive atmospheres. Therefore, ATEX is part of CE, and not the other way around. Products certified under Directive 2014/34/EU bear the hexagonal {Ex} mark, which is specific to ATEX, but must also conform to all of the other applicable Directives in order to bear the CE mark. It is therefore important to ensure that your design meets all applicable Directives and not just ATEX.

Go to Protection Techniques.
Go to Certification Standards.
Go to Understanding IEC 60079.