Cableways for the carriage of passengers

SUMMARY OF:

Directive 2000/9/EC — Cableway installations designed to carry persons

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE DIRECTIVE?

It defines a set of essential safety requirements at European Union (EU) level as well as inspection and control procedures to be applied to cableways that carry passengers.

KEY POINTS

Cableways carrying passengers are capital goods (i.e. heavy equipment requiring relatively large investment). They comprise several components and are designed, manufactured, assembled and commissioned in order to be able to provide a passenger-carrying service.

Scope

The installations concerned by this directive are:
- funicular railways or other vehicles where traction is provided by one or more cables;
- cable cars lifted and/or displaced by carrier cables, including gondolas and chair lifts;
- drag lifts.

The directive does not apply to:

lifts within the meaning of Directive 95/16/EC;
cable-operated tramways of traditional construction;
installations used for agricultural purposes;
equipment designed for leisure purposes for use in fairgrounds or amusement parks;
installations for mining and industrial purposes;
cable-operated ferries, rack railways and chain-driven installations.

Definitions

The directive gives definitions for installation*, safety component*, main contractor*, operability* and maintainability*.
It determines the objectives or essential requirements as regards safety, health and protection of both the environment and consumers that the equipment must meet during its manufacture and before being placed in service.

Standardisation

European specifications (common technical specifications, European technical approvals or national standards transposing European standards) are drawn up on the basis of essential requirements. They are published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
European harmonised standards are drawn up by European standardisation organisations.
Any system that has been produced in compliance with the European specifications is presumed to meet the essential requirements.

Assessment procedures

The procedures for assessing the compliance of safety components and systems with the essential requirements are based on the modular approach set out in EU rules on CE conformity marking. The assessment of their compliance is a responsibility of the organisations designated by EU countries, in accordance with common assessment criteria, that then notify the European Commission and the other EU countries. The assessment procedure is initiated at the request of either the manufacturer or their representative within the EU in the case of safety components, or the main customer or their representative in the case of installations.
Before being placed on the market the equipment must have received the CE declaration of conformity, which adds practical form to their compliance with this directive. This is drawn up by either the manufacturer or their representative within the EU in the case of safety components, or the main customer or their representative in the case of installations.
Where the safety components are covered by other EU directives, the CE declaration of conformity also states that the safety components meet the requirements of those directives.
EU countries may not, on their territory and on the basis of this directive, prohibit, restrict or hamper:
- the placing on the market of safety components in order to use these in a system;
- the building and placing in service of installations, which meet the requirements set out in the existing directive.
An EU country should ascertain whether a safety component bearing the CE conformity marking or an installation authorised and used in accordance with its intended purpose is liable to endanger the safety and health of persons and, where applicable, the safety of property. If the EU country finds that it does, it must take all appropriate measures to restrict the conditions of use of the component or of the installation. The directive sets out the procedures to be followed depending on whether non-conformity is due to:
- failure to satisfy the essential requirements;
- incorrect application of the European specifications;
- shortcomings in the European specifications.

Repeal

Directive 2000/9/EC is repealed and replaced by Regulation (EU) 2016/424 with effect from 21 April 2018.

FROM WHEN DOES THE DIRECTIVE APPLY?

It has applied since 3 May 2000. EU countries had to incorporate it into national law by 3 May 2002.

BACKGROUND

For more information, see:

‘Cableways’ on the European Commission's website.

* KEY TERMS

Installation: in the context of this summary, it is made up of several components, designed, manufactured, assembled and put into service with the object of carrying persons.

Safety component: any basic component, set of components, complete assembly of equipment or any device incorporated in the installation for the purposes of the safety or health of persons, be they users, operaters or third parties.

Main contractor: any natural or legal person who commissions the construction of an installation.

Operability: all the technical provisions and measures which have an impact on design and realisation and are necessary in order for the installation to operate safely.

Maintainability: all the technical provisions and measures which have an impact on design and realisation and are necessary for maintenance designed to ensure that the installation operates safely.

MAIN DOCUMENT

Directive 2000/9/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 March 2000 relating to cableway installations designed to carry persons (OJ L 106, 3.5.2000, pp. 21-48)