ATEX actually stands for ATmosphere EXplosible. It combines two directives: 1)The ATEX "user" Directive Directive 1999/92/EC which sets out the minimum requirements for ensuring the health and safety of workers potentially at risk from explosive atmospheres and 2) the ATEX "equipment" Directive Directive 2014/34/EU which is aimed at manufacturers and sets out the requirements for equipment intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres including electrical equipment used on the surface, below ground and on fixed offshore installations.
The chances of something manufactured prior to 1999 meeting ALL the requirements of either directive is very small. Note that it would have to meet the MOST CURRENT version of the directives and the associated standards - which means there has been something like 30 years of standards development between the equipment manufacture and today, which translates into at least two - and more probably three - editions of the applicable standards. As a general statement, standards get more strict - and thus harder to meet - as the edition number increases.
Converting energy to motion for more than half a century
