OND - Directive 2000/14/EC

What OND is and why it matters

The Outdoor Noise Directive (OND) — formally Directive 2000/14/EC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the noise emission in the environment by equipment for use outdoors — is the EU’s framework for controlling how loud outdoor machinery is allowed to be. If you manufacture, import or place on the market equipment that runs outdoors — lawnmowers, compressors, generators, excavators, concrete breakers and dozens of other machine types — OND very likely applies to your product. It exists to protect human health and the environment from environmental noise, and to create a single harmonised market so that a machine tested once can be sold across the Union.

OND matters because it does two distinct things at once. For a defined set of equipment it sets binding noise limit values that a machine must not exceed before it can be placed on the market or put into service. For a much larger second set it imposes noise marking only — no limit, but a mandatory, verified declaration of how loud the machine is. Either way, the guaranteed sound power level becomes a published, legally binding figure that buyers, authorities and competitors can hold you to. Getting that number wrong, or skipping the conformity procedure behind it, is a market-access problem, not a paperwork detail.

📄 Official text: Directive 2000/14/EC on outdoor equipment noise emission — on EUR-Lex →

Who OND applies to

OND applies to anyone placing in-scope outdoor equipment on the EU market or putting it into service, regardless of where it was made:

Manufacturers — anyone who designs and builds in-scope outdoor equipment, or has it built and markets it under their own name or trademark. They carry the core duties: testing, conformity assessment, the declaration of conformity, technical documentation and the noise marking.
Authorised representatives — a person established in the Community whom the manufacturer appoints in writing to act on their behalf for defined OND tasks.
Importers and others placing equipment on the market — where the manufacturer or their representative is not established in the Community, the obligations fall on the person who places the equipment on the market or puts it into service in the Union.

The Directive lists the equipment it covers in two groups. One annex lists the machine types subject to noise limit values — including, for example, certain lawnmowers, compaction machines, builders’ hoists, concrete breakers and welding generators. A second, broader group is subject to noise marking only, covering many more categories of construction, garden and outdoor equipment. If a machine type is not listed, it falls outside OND’s marking and limit requirements (though other noise rules, such as those in the Machinery framework, may still bite).

Key dates and timeline

2000 — Directive 2000/14/EC was adopted, replacing a patchwork of earlier equipment-specific noise directives with a single harmonised framework.
3 January 2002 — the Directive’s requirements became applicable, from which point in-scope equipment placed on the market had to carry the noise marking and meet the relevant procedures.
2005 — a second, stricter stage of noise limit values took effect for the limited group of equipment subject to limits, tightening the permitted levels set at the first stage. As an “old approach” directive, OND was later technically aligned with the New Legislative Framework, but the core obligations — limits, marking and conformity assessment — have remained stable.

Because OND is a directive, it takes effect through national transposition in each Member State rather than applying directly, but the harmonised requirements and the noise figures are common across the Union.

Core requirements

Noise limit values and noise marking

OND draws a sharp line between two obligations. For the machine types subject to noise limits, the measured and declared sound power level must not exceed the permissible value set for that equipment type (which often depends on parameters such as engine power, cutting width or mass). Equipment that exceeds its limit may not be lawfully placed on the market. For the much larger group subject to marking only, there is no ceiling — but the manufacturer must still measure, declare and mark the noise level. In both cases the figure that counts is the guaranteed sound power level, expressed in dB re 1 pW, which the manufacturer commits to and which surveillance testing can be checked against.

The guaranteed sound power level marking (L_WA)

Every piece of in-scope equipment must bear the noise marking: the guaranteed sound power level shown as the letters L_WA above the figure in decibels, enclosed in a box, displayed alongside the CE marking. This noise marking is specific to OND and sits next to — not instead of — the CE mark. It must be visible, legible and indelible, fixed to each machine. The same guaranteed value must appear consistently in the EC declaration of conformity, the technical documentation and, where relevant, sales literature, so that the marked figure, the declared figure and the tested figure all agree.

Conformity assessment and notified bodies

OND requires the manufacturer to run a conformity assessment procedure before placing equipment on the market, and the route depends on which group the equipment falls into. For equipment subject to noise limits, the procedure must involve a notified body — through procedures such as internal control of production with assessment of technical documentation and periodic checking, unit verification, or full quality assurance. For equipment subject to marking only, the manufacturer may use internal control of production, taking responsibility for the measurement and declaration without mandatory notified-body sign-off. Notified bodies are designated by Member States and notified to the Commission to carry out these third-party tasks.

Technical documentation and the declaration of conformity

The manufacturer must compile and hold technical documentation that allows the conformity of the equipment to be assessed — including a description, the measurement method and conditions used, the measured and guaranteed sound power levels, and the basis for the declared figure. The manufacturer (or their authorised representative in the Community) must draw up an EC declaration of conformity stating that the equipment complies with OND, identifying the equipment, the measured and guaranteed sound power levels, and, where a notified body was involved, its details. Documentation and the declaration must be kept available for the market surveillance authorities for the retention period set by the Directive.

Noise measurement and data collection

OND prescribes how the noise is to be measured, referencing harmonised methods and operating conditions so that figures are comparable across manufacturers and machine types. The Directive also obliges Member States and the Commission to collect noise emission data for in-scope equipment, feeding a Union-wide picture of how loud the market’s machinery is — a mechanism that has informed reviews of the limit values over time.

Obligations by role

Manufacturers — determine whether the equipment is subject to limits or marking only, measure the noise by the prescribed method, run the correct conformity procedure (with a notified body where required), apply the L_WA noise marking next to CE, draw up the declaration of conformity and hold the technical documentation.
Authorised representatives — carry out the OND tasks delegated in writing by a manufacturer established outside the Community.
Importers / those placing on the market — ensure that equipment they place on the market or put into service carries the noise marking and CE mark, is accompanied by the declaration of conformity, and that the conformity procedure was completed.

Enforcement

OND is enforced through national market surveillance in each Member State. Authorities can check that in-scope equipment carries a correct and legible L_WA noise marking alongside CE, that the declaration of conformity is available, and that the guaranteed sound power level holds up when the machine is re-tested. In Denmark, market surveillance for these requirements sits with the responsible national authorities, with the Danish Environmental Protection Agency (Miljøstyrelsen) central to the environmental-noise side of the regime.

Where equipment exceeds a binding limit, lacks the noise marking, or carries a guaranteed level that testing shows to be understated, authorities can require corrective action, restrict or prohibit placing the equipment on the market, and order withdrawal. The practical reality for a brand is that the guaranteed figure is a public commitment: an understated L_WA is straightforward for a surveillance lab to expose, and the consequences flow across every market where the machine is sold.

Getting compliant

Confirm whether your equipment is in scope, and whether it is subject to noise limits or marking only.
Measure the sound power level using the prescribed method and operating conditions, and set a defensible guaranteed sound power level.
For limit-bound equipment, check the measured/guaranteed level against the permissible value for that machine type.
Run the correct conformity assessment procedure, involving a notified body where the equipment is subject to limits.
Apply the L_WA noise marking in its box, alongside the CE marking, on every machine.
Draw up the EC declaration of conformity and compile the technical documentation, keeping the guaranteed figure consistent across all three.
Retain the documentation for the required period and be ready to produce it for market surveillance authorities.

How Conphora helps

Conphora monitors OND and maps your outdoor equipment against its requirements, flagging whether a machine is subject to noise limits or marking only, and checking that the guaranteed sound power level, the L_WA marking, the declaration of conformity and the technical documentation line up. The platform helps you generate and keep the right documentation, and alerts you when obligations or limit values change so your compliance stays current.

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Sources and further reading

This guide is for general information and is not legal advice.

Last updated: 12 June 2026