While states, provinces and local governments in North America work toward adoption of the new PBC (ASME A17.7/CSA B44.7), a similar Performance Based Code for Elevator Safety has been utilized in Europe for nearly a decade. 

The European Union adopted the Lifts Directive 95/16/EC in 1995 and it has been fully in force since 1999.  This directive has ensured a high level of safety for elevator users throughout the European Union nations while permitting elevator manufacturers the freedom to design and install elevators using the latest technology.

Like the PBC, the EU Lifts Directive provides a wide choice of conformity assessment procedures covering the design, manufacture, assembly, installation, inspection, and testing of elevators, and the design and manufacture of elevator safety components.  The certification process for the Lifts Directive requires the satisfaction of Essential Health and Safety Requirements (similar to the PBC’s Global Essential Safety Requirements), documentation by manufacturers of all technical aspects and risk assessments of the elevator systems, and certification by Notified Bodies, similar to the PBC’s Accredited Elevator/Escalator Certification Organizations (AECOs).

The Lifts Directive has been extremely successful in harmonizing the various safety codes of all of the European Union member countries.  Over the past seven years countries in Europe have seen a rise in the total number of elevator installations along with the proliferation of new technologies in the elevator industry.

Elevator systems, which have eliminated the need for machine rooms to house elevator operating machinery, are now considered the standard in the European elevator industry.  These systems allow for limited building space to be used more effectively for other purposes while continuing to assure the safety of inspection and maintenance personnel.