CE marking for pyrotechnic articles done! With easyCE expert support.
Prepare your pyrotechnic product for its conformity assessment. easyCE reviews the category and applicable requirements, coordinates the technical evidence and prepares the agreed documentation for notified-body assessment and CE marking.
Willy Lebherz
Founder and Managing Director of easyCE GmbH
DoC ready to sign!
We prepare your declaration of conformity, ready for the responsible signatory.
Risk assessment completed!
We assess the relevant product risks and document the findings.
Applicable standards identified!
We identify the relevant harmonised standards and check their scope, current references and any restrictions for your product.
Technical documentation created!
We prepare clear technical records and practical instructions for your product.
Ready for CE marking!
Once conformity has been demonstrated, the manufacturer signs the declaration and affixes the required marking.
Your role. Your CE responsibilities.
Manufacturers
Directive 2013/29/EU sets requirements for pyrotechnic articles placed on the EU market. It covers fireworks, theatrical pyrotechnic articles and other articles, including certain vehicle safety components. Classification depends on intended use and hazard, including noise.
The manufacturer must demonstrate the applicable essential safety requirements through a prescribed conformity assessment procedure involving a notified body. CE marking does not remove national restrictions on sale, possession or use.
easyCE reviews the product category, technical records and test evidence. We prepare the agreed documentation and coordinate technical questions with the selected notified body, with clear responsibilities for the manufacturer's declaration and product marking.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Pyrotechnic Articles Directive?
Directive 2013/29/EU sets harmonised requirements for pyrotechnic articles within its scope. It replaced Directive 2007/23/EC, with most provisions applying from 1 July 2015. Products must be classified and assessed against the applicable requirements before market entry.
What does the directive aim to achieve?
The directive supports free movement of compliant pyrotechnic articles while protecting health, public safety, consumers and the environment. Member States may retain certain justified restrictions on the sale, possession or use of specified categories.
What is a pyrotechnic article?
A pyrotechnic article contains an explosive substance or mixture intended to produce heat, light, sound, gas, smoke or a combination of these effects through a self-sustaining chemical reaction that releases heat.
What types of articles are covered?
The directive distinguishes fireworks, theatrical pyrotechnic articles and other pyrotechnic articles.
- Fireworks are intended for entertainment.
- Theatrical articles are intended for stage, film, television or similar use, indoors or outdoors.
- Other articles include relevant vehicle components, such as pyrotechnic elements used to activate safety devices.
Which articles are excluded?
Article 2 lists specific exclusions. These include:
- Articles intended for non-commercial use by the armed forces, police or fire service under national law.
- Equipment covered by the marine-equipment legislation.
- Articles intended for the aerospace industry.
- Percussion caps specifically intended for toys.
- Explosives covered by the civil-explosives legislation and ammunition.
- Fireworks made by a manufacturer for its own use and approved exclusively for use in its Member State under the conditions specified by the directive.
How are pyrotechnic articles categorised?
The manufacturer assigns the category according to intended use and the level of hazard, including noise. The notified body confirms the categorisation as part of conformity assessment. Fireworks use F categories, theatrical articles use T categories and other articles use P categories.
What are the fireworks categories?
Fireworks are classified as F1, F2, F3 or F4:
- F1: very low hazard and negligible noise, for use in confined areas, including certain products intended for domestic indoor use.
- F2: low hazard and low noise, for outdoor use in confined areas.
- F3: medium hazard, for use in large open outdoor areas, with noise that is not harmful to human health.
- F4: high hazard, for people with specialist knowledge only, with noise that is not harmful to human health.
What are the theatrical categories?
Theatrical pyrotechnic articles are classified as T1 or T2.
- T1: low-hazard articles for stage use.
- T2: articles for stage use only by people with specialist knowledge.
What are the other pyrotechnic categories?
Articles other than fireworks and theatrical pyrotechnics are classified as P1 or P2.
- P1: articles presenting a low hazard.
- P2: articles intended to be handled or used only by people with specialist knowledge.
What age and access restrictions apply?
The directive sets minimum ages for making articles available on the market: F1 at 12, F2 at 16, and F3, T1 and P1 at 18. Member States can impose higher ages on specified grounds and may permit lower ages for vocational training.
F4, T2 and P2 articles may be made available only to people with specialist knowledge. P1 vehicle articles, including airbags and seat-belt pretensioners, must not be supplied to the general public unless incorporated into a vehicle or a detachable vehicle part. Check national rules on sale and use as well as these EU requirements.
Which conformity assessment procedures are available?
Article 17 provides the following routes, all involving a notified body:
- EU-type examination, Module B, combined with Module C2, D or E for the production stage.
- Unit verification, Module G.
- Full quality assurance, Module H, for category F4 fireworks.
The correct route depends on the article and manufacturing arrangements. A type certificate alone does not replace the required production-stage assessment.
What are the main steps towards CE marking?
Start by defining the article, intended use and category, then select an appropriate notified body and conformity assessment route.
- Prepare technical documentation and evidence addressing the essential safety requirements.
- Complete the examinations and tests required by the selected route.
- Establish the required production controls or approved quality system.
- Resolve any non-conformities and prepare the EU declaration of conformity.
- Apply the CE marking, notified-body identification where required, registration information, category and other mandatory labelling.
What essential safety requirements apply?
Annex I sets the essential safety requirements. The assessment must address the product's intended performance, foreseeable conditions of use and relevant hazards.
- The article must meet the performance characteristics submitted for conformity assessment and function correctly when used as intended.
- Design and manufacture must allow safe disposal through a suitable process with minimal environmental impact.
- The assessment must consider relevant physical and chemical stability, handling, storage, initiation and safety features.
- Restrictions on detonative explosives apply, with specific exceptions and conditions for designated categories. These must be checked against the actual composition and category rather than treated as a general permission.
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Your project in three steps
Step 1
Discuss your product
Tell us about your product and request free initial advice. We identify the likely conformity requirements and the next steps for your project.
Step 2
Receive your proposal
We explain the required assessments and documentation, then prepare a proposal for the scope you need. You can commission a complete project or individual tasks.
Step 3
Your expert gets started
Your dedicated CE expert carries out the agreed engineering and documentation tasks and keeps you informed throughout the project. Follow-up questions can be discussed with the same expert.
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Product safety expertise
Willy Lebherz, Founder and Managing Director of easyCE
- Expert in product safety and conformity since 1995
- Recipient of the "Medal of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany", awarded in 1983 by the then Federal President Carl Carstens
- Meister qualification in measurement and control technology
- Captain (ret.), Project Officer for Technical Logistics in the Army Material Office and Chief of the Telecommunications Repair Company
easyCE is an engineering consultancy specialising in product safety and conformity assessment. We help manufacturers, operators and suppliers assess products, reduce risks and prepare the documentation needed for market access. Our engineers identify applicable requirements, develop safety measures, prepare technical documentation and coordinate testing. You can commission the complete agreed process or selected tasks. Founded in southern Germany, easyCE works with clients internationally.
Technical expertise. Clear documentation. A defined route to conformity.