27.9.76 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 262/153 COUNCIL DIRECTIVE of 27 July 1976 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to common provisions for pressure vessels and methods of inspecting them (76/767/EEC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 100 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (1), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (2), Whereas in each Member State mandatory provisions determine the technical characteristics of construction, verification and/or the operation of pressure vessels; whereas these requirements differ from one Member State to another; whereas such differences hinder trade and may create unequal conditions of compe- tition within the Community; Whereas these hindrances to the establishment and functioning of the common market can be reduced or indeed eliminated if the same requirements apply in each of the Member States, either in addition to or in lieu of their existing laws; Whereas a check on compliance with these technical requirements is necessary to provide effective protec- tion for users and third parties; whereas the existing inspection procedures differ from one Member State to another; whereas in order to achieve free move- ment of pressure vessels within the common market and to avoid multiple inspections which are in effect {1y OJ No C 2, 9. 1. 1974, p. 64. () OJ No C 101, 23. 11. 1973, p. 25. barriers to the free movement of vessels, arrangements should be made for the mutual recognition of inspection procedures by the Member States; Whereas, in order to facilitate the mutual recognition of inspection procedures, adequate EEC pattern approval and EEC verification procedures for vessels should be set up and the criteria for appointing the bodies responsible for carrying out verifications should be harmonized; Whereas the presence on a pressure vessel of the EEC marks showing that it has undergone the appro- priate inspections indicates that it satisfies the relevant technical requirements and therefore makes it unnecessary, on the importation and placing into service of the vessel, to repeat the inspections which have already been carried out; Whereas national regulations on pressure vessels cover many categories of pressure vessels of widely varying uses, capacities and pressures; whereas this Directive should lay down the general provisions dealing, in particular, with EEC pattern approval and verification procedures; whereas separate Directives for each category of vessel will lay down the technical requirements as to the design and methods of inspection of such vessels and, where appropriate, the conditions under which Community technical requirements are to replace the previous national provisions; Whereas the technical requirements of the Directives on pressure vessels must be adapted without delay to take account of technical progress; whereas, in order to facilitate the implementation of the measures necessary for this purpose, provisions should be made for a procedure establishing close cooperation between the Member States and the Commission, within the Committee on the adaptation to technical progress of the Directives for removing technical barriers to intra-Community trade in pressure vessels;