New rules for machinery: Council gives its final approval

The Council has adopted the new regulation on machinery.

The proposed legislation updates the 2006 machinery directive and transforms it into a regulation. The new text harmonises the essential health and safety requirements for machinery in the EU, promotes the free movement of machinery and ensures a high level of safety for workers and citizens.

The updated rules will allow European industry to operate under a new and improved legal framework. They will ensure a high level of protection for our workers and our citizens, while increasing the competitiveness and reputation of machinery made in the EU.

Paulina Brandberg, Minister for Gender Equality and Working Life

Conformity and documentation requirements

The regulation adopted today makes mandatory a third-party conformity assessment for six categories of ‘high risk’ machinery.

Safety information will have to be provided with every product, but in line with the digital transition, the regulation establishes that digital instructions will be the default option. Paper instructions will remain an option for customers who request them.

Background

The 2006 machinery directive was one of the main pieces of legislation governing the harmonisation of essential health and safety requirements for machinery at EU level. The new regulation adopted today will establish a legal framework for the placing on the Union market of safe machinery, and cover new risks linked to emerging technologies. The regulation also guarantees legal certainty by clarifying the regulation’s scope. For instance, it includes small vehicles used for personal transport and light electric vehicles such as scooters or bikes, since these are widely used and could potentially be dangerous to their users.

Next steps

Following the Council’s approval today of the European Parliament’s position, this legislative act has now been adopted. After being signed by the President of the European Parliament and the President of the Council, the regulation will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and will enter into force on the twentieth day following its publication. Member states and economic operators will have 42 months before the rules of the new regulation are applied.