Maturity Directive 2014/28/EU · Compliance for civil explosives
Your obligations on civil explosives, measured article by article and turned into a costed action plan.
10 themes, a 5-level scale. And the action that moves each level to the next.
The framework’s 10 themes, already written from L1 to L5. One company, one business unit, or 300 at once.
Maturity Directive 2014/28/EU · Compliance for civil explosives
10 themes, 5-level scale.
Nordhavn Industries
53 / 100
They measure their maturity with Datamensio
An example
This could be your situation.
Take one company as an example: three sites, three spreadsheets, no shared answer.
Nobody can consolidate.
Nordhavn Industries, 2,400 people in Hamburg, Lyon and Porto. A client asks where the group stands. Each site answers in its own spreadsheet, with its own scales.
Three weeks, a single base.
One Directive 2014/28/EU of 26 February 2014 assessment launched across all three sites at once, from the managers’ interview notes. The framework was already written, its 10 themes and levels L1 to L5 too.
Two costs avoided before being committed.
A score of 53 out of 100, with the gap concentrated on three themes. The AI companion spotted that two actions duplicated those of another audit. The committee report took one sentence to request.
What it saved them
- 3sites measured on the same base, instead of three questionnaires to reconcile
- 2duplicate actions caught before the spend
- 1committee report, with no manual rework
These figures are an example. They could be yours.
The standard imposes processes. Datamensio says where you stand.
01
The framework is already written
Themes, questions and levels L1 to L5, all written. You do not start from an empty spreadsheet.
02
The score lands the same day
Online, by self-assessment link or in interview. Theme by theme, comparable over time.
03
The gap becomes a costed plan
Every step up carries its action. The AI prioritises on expected effect, not on the order of the standard.
04
Progress can be demonstrated
Campaign after campaign, against your target and against your own past. That is what your board asks for.
The maturity scale
One level, the next, and the action that links the two.
This mechanism (one level, the level above, and the action that connects them) is what turns an observation into a trajectory.
Does the unique identification of explosive units allow a batch to be traced through to its use or recipient?
- N1
No unique identification system in place. Tracking relies on delivery notes and packaging markings.
- N2
Identification is affixed to most units, but records are kept locally and reconstructing a batch requires a manual search across several sources.
- N3
Units are identified and movements recorded in a single system. A batch is traced without reconstruction, with occasional gaps.
- N4
Records are systematic from receipt to use, reconciled during inventories, and gaps are analysed with a documented trail.
- N5
Traceability capability is tested periodically through documented reporting exercises, and the arrangements are revised in line with their results and regulatory developments.
Action to move from L2 to L3
Centralise movement records in a single system, require unique identification to be captured on receipt and dispatch from the depot, and check the retrieval of a randomly selected batch during the monthly site review.
« With Datamensio, we meet our objectives far more efficiently. The ERDF inspection services and our supervising ministry particularly appreciated an approach that gives them reliable data. »
Director, CCI 94CCI Île-de-France
« We believe this is the most suitable solution to scale our transformation project and measure impact according to our needs. »
Maja SucekChief Operating Officer, Interreg Danube
Rarely on its own
Frameworks combine. Put several together to cover your business, or have the AI write yours.
Take your first measurement
What this framework covers
Directive 2014/28/EU on the harmonisation of the laws relating to the making available on the market and supervision of explosives for civil uses replaced Directive 93/15/EEC. It applies to explosives and to pyrotechnic articles excluded from the scope of Directive 2013/29/EU. It requires CE marking, involvement of a notified body under the chosen assessment procedures, technical documentation and an EU declaration of conformity, a unique identification system for explosive units, and retention of traceability data. It also sets out the regime for transfers of explosives between member states and control by the competent authorities.
In practice, the difficulty is not knowing the text but knowing where the chain breaks. Is the unique identification affixed and legible on every unit, including detonators and detonating cord, or only on the packaging? Do the traceability records allow the recipient of a batch to be traced within the timeframe expected by the authority, or must the information be reconstructed from several systems? Can an importer demonstrate that it verified its supplier’s technical documentation, or does it simply rely on the certificate received?
One confusion recurs often: Directive 2014/28/EU does not replace the national regime for authorising the possession and use of explosives, nor does it cover the public’s acquisition of substances, which falls under Regulation (EU) 2019/1148 on explosives precursors. The classification and labelling of substances remain governed by the CLP Regulation. Storage sites fall, depending on thresholds, under the Seveso III Directive. An organisation that treats these texts in silos multiplies assessments without ever consolidating the overall picture.
A compliance audit concludes with a gap or a pass: the marking is present or absent, the declaration exists or not. The maturity assessment answers a different question: what level of control does the practice sit at, and what specific action moves it to the next level. Traceability that is set out in a procedure, applied by one team in three, tested once a year or checked at every dispatch do not sit at the same level, even though a binary audit might declare all three acceptable.
The framework is ready to use in Datamensio and remains yours. The AI adjusts the themes, questions and levels to your position in the chain (manufacturer, importer, distributor, user at a quarry or in underground works), or builds a variant from your own procedures and technical documentation.
Reference standard: Directive 2014/28/EU of 26 February 2014
The themes assessed
Scope and product qualification
Inventory of the explosives and articles concerned, distinction from pyrotechnic articles under Directive 2013/29/EU, exclusions from scope, qualification of new or reformulated products.
Role of the economic operator
Identification of status (manufacturer, authorised representative, importer, distributor), obligations specific to each status, consequences of a product modification or placing on the market under one’s own brand.
Conformity assessment
Procedures chosen, relationship with the notified body, type examination, production quality assurance, management of certificates and their validity.
Technical documentation and EU declaration
Compilation and updating of the technical file, content of the EU declaration of conformity, retention period, availability on request from the authority.
CE marking and information accompanying the product
Affixing and legibility of the marking, identification of the manufacturer and batch, safety instructions and information in the required language, consistency between packaging and unit.
Unique identification and traceability
Unique identification system for units, affixing on detonators, detonating cord and charges, recording of movements, ability to trace a recipient, retention and accessibility of data.
Transfers and authorisations
Applications for and tracking of transfer authorisations between member states, documents accompanying dispatch, checks on receipt, management of transits and returns.
Security, storage and loss prevention
Storage and preservation conditions, access control, inventories and reconciliations, procedure for reporting loss or theft, alignment with national regimes.
Market surveillance and corrective actions
Handling of detected non-conformities, withdrawal or recall measures, informing authorities and the supply chain, follow-up through to closure.
Competence and continuous improvement
Authorisations and training for the personnel concerned, periodic reviews of the arrangements, use of internal and external checks, comparison of maturity over time.
A short version of the framework is available for the online self-assessment.
Frequently asked questions
Does Directive 2014/28/EU result in certification?
No. It relies on conformity assessment of products by a notified body, CE marking and the EU declaration of conformity, under the control of market surveillance authorities. The Datamensio assessment measures the maturity of your arrangements and prepares you for these checks, it does not issue any certificate.
How does this differ from a regulatory compliance audit?
An audit records a gap or a pass at a given point in time. The assessment places each practice on a maturity scale and identifies the action that moves it up one level. The two complement each other: the assessment prepares for the audit and prioritises corrections, the audit validates.
How long does the assessment take?
An individual assessment can be completed in a single working session. In collaborative mode, involving the product manager, the depot and regulatory affairs, it runs over one to two weeks, most of the time being spent gathering evidence from the sites.
Can the framework be adapted to our position in the chain?
Yes. The questions, levels and themes can be changed, and the AI generates a variant specific to the manufacturer, importer, distributor or end user based on your procedures. You retain control of the framework rather than being handed a fixed grid.
How does this assessment fit with Seveso III, ATEX and CLP?
These texts overlap on storage, explosive atmosphere zones and substance labelling. Results are consolidated into a cross-cutting roadmap that groups common actions instead of duplicating them, with grouping proposed by the AI.
Can several sites be compared with one another?
Yes. The same framework is deployed across all business units, with a score per theme and a benchmark between entities as well as against previous campaigns. This is what identifies the sites where effort will produce the greatest maturity gain.
Is pyrotechnic expertise needed to answer?
The questions cover organisation, records and responsibilities, not product formulation. A QHSE or product compliance manager can answer, and technical questions are assigned to the shotfirer or depot manager in collaborative mode.
Where is the data hosted?
In France, with OVH, backed up at Scaleway. No transfer outside the European Union. The AI models used can be selected, including from European solutions.