CEN/TC 238 N 204
CEN/TC 238
TEST GASES, TEST PRESSURES
AND CATEGORIES OF APPLIANCES
BUSINESS PLAN

EXECUTIVE

CEN/TC 238 business environment is characterized by:
• Differences (national or not) in the sources of the combustible gases in the various
CEN Member States so the gaseous fuels supplied to the market within CEN Member States differ in composition and pressure, • CE marking of every appliance in accordance with the EU Directive 90/396/EEC on
The main objective of CEN/TC 238 is to prepare and up-date a European standard that
defines on the basis of the distributed gases, the categories of gas appliances, their test
gases and corresponding test pressures. This standard is intended to assist CEN
Technical Committees in the development of European standards for gas appliances.
CEN/TC 238 also develops and maintains a technical report for determination of emissions
from gas appliances.
As a direct outcome, the different Technical Committees that draft specific appliance
standards will take the definitions they need out of CEN/TC 238 work results. The
certification tests of those appliances must be carried out in every recognized European
Union laboratory using the test gases described in this standard that takes into account the
particular national conditions.
As stakeholders, in such a context, where the appliance categories, the test gases and
test pressures may change in each CEN Member State according to the sources of the
supplied fuel, and where the appliance categories may also change depending on
technical progress made on the appliances, every gaseous fuel supplier and appliance
manufacturer are interested in the progress of CEN/TC 238 as well as the authorities of
the CEN Member States.
The standards developed and maintained by CEN/TC 238 are:
• EN 437:2003 "Test gases - Test pressures - Appliance categories",
• CR 1404:1994 "Determination of emissions from appliances burning gaseous fuels
1 Agreed with CEN/BT to be limited to the Executive Summary. CEN/TC 238 N 204
EN 437:2003 last version was published just before CEN enlargement. That’s why, in
2004, it was decided to make an amendment to the standard in order to add the new CEN
Members States datas, and enquiries were made in the new countries. However, it was
found very difficult to get the needed datas and participation to this work so a time
tolerance was needed. Furthermore, the amendment was decided with the goal of not
adding more new gas groups and categories than strictly needed. A proliferation of gas
groups and categories would not help in the certification and would limit the free circulation
of the gas appliances in Europe.
The work program is carried out by:
• CEN/TC 238/WG 1 "EN 437" that handles the maintenance of EN 437:2003,
• CEN/TC 238/WG 2 "Emission measurements" that handles the maintenance of CR

CEN/TC 238 maintains official liaisons with:
• AEGPL
• AFECOR
European Control Manufacturers' Association, • CEFACD
European Committee of Manufacturers of Domestic Heating and Cooking Appliances • EFCEM
European Federation of Catering Equipment Manufacturers, Association of European Heating Industry • MARCOGAZ
Technical Association of the European Natural Gas Industry.
CEN/TC 238 maintains a technical cooperation with CEN/TC 234/WG 9 "Injection of
non-conventional gases into gas networks ".
Future work is still to be decided, on the base of new developments like environmental
aspects (like NOx emissions measurement), while CEN/TC 238 business plan is likely to
be amended in order to take into account the work carried out under mandate M/400 on
gas quality.
The coordination of CEN/TC 238 activities is handled by:
• The Chairman Pierre GRELLARD from GFCC
• The Secretary Frédéric SOLBES from AFNOR

Source: http://standards.cen.eu/BP/6219.pdf