Home Europe European Commission Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/79 of 12 January ...
Date: 2026-01-13 Category: Not Applicable State: Union Government Country: Europe

Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/79 of 12 January 2026 amending Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/165 as regards harmonised standards for seamless steel tubes, butt-welding pipe fittings, copper and copper alloys, unfired pressure vessels, flanges and their joints, industrial valves, and safety devices for protection against excessive pressure, drafted in support of Directive 2014/68/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council

Issued by European Commission · Directorate-General for Internal Market

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Executive Summary & Key Takeaways

**Executive Summary** This is a Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/79 issued on January 12, 2026, that amends Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/165. The amendments relate to harmonised standards for pressure equipment like steel tubes, pipe fittings, copper alloys, pressure vessels, flanges, valves, and safety devices, drafted under Directive 2014/68/EU. The decision enters into force upon its publication, with points (1), (3), (5), (7), (9), (11) and (13) of the Annex applying from July 13, 2027. **Key Points / Main Content** * **Amendment of Decision (EU) 2025/165:** * Annex I of Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/165 is amended as detailed in the Annex of this decision. * **Insertion of New Harmonised Standards References:** * New references for revised and completed standards are inserted into Annex I of Decision (EU) 2025/165. These include standards for: * Flanges and joints: EN 1591-1:2024 * Seamless steel tubes: EN 10216-2:2024 * Butt-welding pipe fittings: EN 10253-4:2025 * Copper and copper alloys forgings: EN 12420:2024 * Round tubes for air conditioning and refrigeration equipment: EN 12735-2:2024 * Unfired pressure vessels: EN 13445-5:2021+A1:2024 * Industrial valves: EN 16668:2025 * Copper and copper alloys rod for general purposes: EN 12163:2024 * Copper and copper alloys rod for free machining purposes: EN 12164:2024 * Copper and copper alloys wire for general purposes: EN 12166:2024 * Copper and copper alloys profiles and bars for general purposes: EN 12167:2024 * Copper and copper alloys hollow rod for free machining purposes: EN 12168:2024 * Unfired pressure vessels with titanium alloys: EN 13445-11:2024 * Copper and copper alloys ingots and castings: EN 1982:2024 * Safety valves for gas/liquid two-phase flow: EN ISO 4126-10:2024 * **Deletion of Old Harmonised Standards References:** * References to superseded standards are deleted from Annex I of Decision (EU) 2025/165. These include: * EN 1591-1:2013 * EN 10216-2:2013 * EN 10253-4:2008 * EN 12420:2014 * EN 12735-2:2016 * EN 13445-5:2021 * EN 16668:2016+A1:2018 * **Delayed Application:** * Certain points will only apply from July 13, 2027, to allow manufacturers time to adapt to the revised standards. **Impact Analysis** **Manufacturers of Pressure Equipment** * **Impact:** Need to adapt their products and manufacturing processes to comply with the revised and new harmonised standards referenced in the updated Annex I of Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/165. * **Action Required:** Review and update their designs, materials, and testing procedures to align with the new standards, ensuring conformity with Directive 2014/68/EU. **Conformity Assessment Bodies** * **Impact:** Must update their assessment procedures to incorporate the revised and new harmonised standards. * **Action Required:** Train assessors on the changes and ensure that certifications are based on the latest standards to maintain presumption of conformity with Directive 2014/68/EU. **European Standardisation Organisations (CEN/Cenelec)** * **Impact:** CEN and Cenelec have completed the requested revisions and adoptions of standards. * **Action Required:** Ensure the standards are accessible and that any necessary support is provided to manufacturers and other stakeholders. **European Commission** * **Impact:** Maintains oversight of harmonised standards to ensure they align with EU directives. * **Action Required:** Continue to monitor the application and effectiveness of the standards and make further adjustments as needed.

Key Entities Referenced

Directive 2014/68/EU: Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of pressure equipment. Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/165: Commission Implementing Decision providing references of harmonised standards conferring a presumption of conformity with Directive 2014/68/EU. European Committee for Standardization (CEN): An organization to which the Commission has made a request for drafting or revising harmonised standards in support of Directive 2014/68/EU.
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Official Journal EN of the European Union L series 2026/79 13.1.2026 COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION(EU) 2026/79 of 12 January 2026 amending Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/165 as regards harmonised standards for seamless steel tubes, butt-welding pipe fittings, copper and copper alloys, unfired pressure vessels, flanges and their joints, industrial valves, and safety devices for protection against excessive pressure, drafted in support of Directive 2014/68/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (Text with EEA relevance) THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on European standardisation, amending Council Directives 89/686/EEC and 93/15/EEC and Directives 94/9/EC, 94/25/EC, 95/16/EC, 97/23/EC, 98/34/EC, 2004/22/EC, 2007/23/EC, 2009/23/EC and 2009/105/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Decision 87/95/EEC and Decision No 1673/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council(1), and in particular Article 10(6) thereof, Whereas: (1) In accordance with Article 12 of Directive 2014/68/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council(2), pressure equipment or assemblies referred to in Article 4(1) and (2) of that Directive, which are in conformity with harmonised standards or parts thereof the references of which have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union, are to be presumed to be in conformity with the essential safety requirements set out in Annex I to that Directive covered by those standards or parts thereof. (2) By Implementing Decision C(2024) 1241(3), the Commission made a request to the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (Cenelec) for drafting of new harmonised standards, the revision of existing harmonised standards and the completion of the work on draft harmonised standards in support of Directive 2014/68/EU. (3) On the basis of the request set out in Implementing Decision C(2024) 1241, CEN revised harmonised standard EN 10216-2:2013 for seamless steel tubes. This resulted in the adoption of standard EN 10216-2:2024. CEN further revised harmonised standard EN 10253-4:2008 and amendment thereto on butt-welding pipe fittings. This resulted in the adoption of standard EN 10253-4:2025. CEN also completed standards EN 12163:2024, EN 12164:2024, EN 12166:2024, EN 12167:2024 and EN 12168:2024 on copper and copper alloys. CEN also revised harmonised standard EN 12420:2014 on copper and copper alloys. This resulted in the adoption of standard EN 12420:2024 on copper and copper alloys. CEN also revised standard EN 12735-2:2016 on copper and copper alloys. This resulted in the adoption of standard EN 12735-2:2024. CEN further completed standard EN 13445-11:2024 on unfired pressure vessels. CEN also revised standard EN 13445-5:2021 on unfired pressure vessels. This resulted in the adoption of amended standard EN 13445-5:2021+A1:2024. CEN also revised standard EN 1591-1:2013 on flanges and their joints. This resulted in the adoption of standard EN 1591-1:2024. CEN further revised standard EN 16668:2016+A1:2018 on industrial valves. This resulted in the adoption of standard EN 16668:2025. CEN further completed standard EN 1982:2024 on copper and copper alloys. CEN lastly completed standard EN ISO 4126-10:2024 on safety devices for protection against excessive pressure. (4) The Commission together with CEN has assessed whether those standards for pressure equipment as drafted by CEN comply with the request set out in Implementing Decision C(2024) 1241. (1) OJ L 316, 14.11.2012, p. 12, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2012/1025/oj. (2) Directive 2014/68/EU of the European Parliament and the Council of 15 May 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of pressure equipment (OJ L 189, 27.6.2014, p. 164, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/ eli/dir/2014/68/oj). (3) Commission Implementing Decision C(2024) 1241 final of 1 March 2024 on a standardisation request to the European Committee for Standardization and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization as regards pressure equipment and assemblies in support of Directive 2014/68/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council. ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2026/79/oj 1/4EN OJ L, 13.1.2026 (5) Those standards satisfy the requirements which they aim to cover, and which are set out in Annex I to Directive 2014/68/EU. It is therefore appropriate to publish the references of those standards in the Official Journal of the European Union. (6) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/165(4) provides in Annex I thereto the references of harmonised standards conferring a presumption of conformity with Directive 2014/68/EU. In order to ensure that the references of harmonised standards drafted in support of Directive 2014/68/EU are listed in one act, the references of the harmonised standards EN 10216-2:2024, EN 10253-4:2025, EN 12163:2024, EN 12164:2024, EN 12166:2024, EN 12167:2024, EN 12168:2024, EN 12420:2024, EN 12735-2:2024, EN 13445-11:2024, EN 13445-5:2021 +A1:2024, EN 1591-1:2024, EN 16668:2025, EN 1982:2024, and EN ISO 4126-10:2024 should be included in that Annex. (7) It is necessary to withdraw from the L series of the Official Journal of the European Union the references of the harmonised standards EN 10216-2:2013, EN 10253-4:2008 and amendment thereto, EN 12420:2014, EN 12735-2:2016, EN 13445-5:2021, EN 1591-1:2013, and EN 16668:2016+A1:2018, given that they have been revised. It is therefore appropriate to delete these references from Annex I to Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/165. (8) In order to give manufacturers sufficient time to adapt their products to the revised versions of harmonised standards EN 10216-2:2013, EN 10253-4:2008 and amendment thereto, EN 12420:2014, EN 12735-2:2016, EN 13445-5:2021, EN 1591-1:2013, and EN 16668:2016+A1:2018 it is necessary to defer the withdrawal of the reference of those standards. (9) Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/165 should therefore be amended accordingly. (10) Compliance with a harmonised standard confers a presumption of conformity with the corresponding essential requirements set out in Union harmonisation legislation from the date of publication of the reference of such standard in the Official Journal of the European Union. This Decision should therefore enter into force on the day of its publication, HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: Article 1 Annex I to Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/165 is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Decision. Article 2 This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. Points (1), (3), (5), (7), (9), (11) and (13) of the Annex to this Decision shall apply from 13 July 2027. Done at Brussels, 12 January 2026. For the Commission The President Ursula VON DER LEYEN (4) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/165 of 30 January 2025 on the harmonised standards for pressure equipment drafted in support of Directive 2014/68/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L, 2025/165, 31.1.2025, ELI: http://data. europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/165/oj). 2/4 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2026/79/ojEN OJ L, 13.1.2026 ANNEX Annex I to Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/165 is amended as follows: (1) row 21 is deleted; (2) the following row is inserted: ‘21a. EN 1591-1:2024 Flanges and their joints – Design rules for gasketed circular flange connections – Part 1: Calculation’; (3) row 53 is deleted; (4) the following row is inserted: ‘53a. EN 10216-2:2024 Seamless steel tubes for pressure purposes – Technical delivery conditions – Part 2: Non-alloy and alloy steel tubes with specified elevated temperature properties’; (5) row 70 is deleted; (6) the following row is inserted: ‘70a. EN 10253-4:2025 Butt-welding pipe fittings – Part 4: Wrought austenitic and austenitic-ferritic (duplex) stainless steels with specific inspection requirements’; (7) row 83 is deleted; (8) the following row is inserted: ‘83a. EN 12420:2024 Copper and copper alloys – Forgings’; (9) row 93 is deleted; (10) the following row is inserted: ‘93a. EN 12735-2:2024 Copper and copper alloys – Seamless, round tubes for air conditioning and refrigeration – Part 2: Tubes for equipment’; (11) row 132 is deleted; (12) the following row is inserted: ‘132a. EN 13445-5:2021+A1:2024 Unfired pressure vessels – Part 5: Inspection and testing’; (13) row 187 is deleted; (14) the following row is inserted: ‘187a. EN 16668:2025 Industrial valves – Requirements and testing for metallic valves as pressure accessories’; ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2026/79/oj 3/4EN OJ L, 13.1.2026 (15) the following rows are added: ‘196. EN 12163:2024 Copper and copper alloys – Rod for general purposes 197. EN 12164:2024 Copper and copper alloys – Rod for free machining purposes 198. EN 12166:2024 Copper and copper alloys – Wire for general purposes 199. EN 12167:2024 Copper and copper alloys – Profiles and bars for general purposes 200. EN 12168:2024 Copper and copper alloys – Hollow rod for free machining purposes 201. EN 13445-11:2024 Unfired pressure vessels – Part 11: Additional requirements for pressure vessels of titanium and titanium alloys 202. EN 1982:2024 Copper and copper alloys – Ingots and castings 203. EN ISO 4126-10:2024 Safety devices for protection against excessive pressure – Part 10: Sizing of safety valves and bursting discs for gas/liquid two-phase flow’. 4/4 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2026/79/oj

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