New draft EU Machinery Regulation published

This means there will be significant amendments and consequences for the mechanical and plant engineering industry. 

The aim of this European regulation is to replace the EC Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC to become the new central set of regulations for the safety of machinery and equipment.  

The drafts main amendments are that the list of machines with a high risk potential could previously be found in Annex IV of the EC Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. Those will be broadened and will in future be found in Annex I of the new EU Machinery Regulation. Furthermore, changes to this list can be made by the EU Commission through delegated acts. This means that manufacturers should expect that the list will be dynamically adjusted in the future and that certain machines will be added to the list of Annex I machines in the short term.  

Another change is that a notified body must be involved in the conformity assessment of machines with high risk potential (previously regulated in Annex IV of the EC Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC), which can lead to higher costs. 

One potentially cost-reducing point is that digital operating manuals will be permitted in principle for b2b machines. If requested by the end customer, paper versions must be supplied within six months of purchase. 

The texts of the Regulation can be consulted HERE.