Who must update the declaration
Every manufacturer placing machinery on the EU market from 20 January 2027. This is the obligation that really concerns everyone, including those who do not switch to digital instructions.
The reference is the individual machine, not the model. Two machines of the same model can have different declarations: the one delivered in December 2026 stays under the Directive, the one delivered in February 2027 must be declared under the Regulation.
What to update in your declaration templates
A checklist to review with your consultant:
- the legal reference: Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 instead of Directive 2006/42/EC;
- the references to the harmonised standards or other technical specifications applied, checking that they are still the right ones;
- the notified body, if any, for machinery that requires one;
- the data of the individual machine: model, serial number, year of construction, configuration;
- the authorised signatory and the person responsible for compiling the technical documentation.
The exact list of mandatory contents is in the official text of the Regulation: use it as the final reference.
Partly completed machinery and the declaration of incorporation
Partly completed machinery does not work on its own and must be incorporated into a machine, for example a robot without its cell or a module of a line. It does not get a declaration of conformity but a declaration of incorporation, together with the assembly instructions.
This too must be updated to the Regulation for partly completed machinery placed on the market from 20 January 2027.
The declaration in digital form
According to the sources we consulted, the EU declaration of conformity may also be supplied in digital form. The practical benefit is linking it to the serial number: whoever scans the QR code finds instructions and declaration together, in the right version for that machine.
How TARGA handles it
In TARGA you set the company and signatory data and the declaration templates once. At every publication the system generates the EU declaration of conformity, or of incorporation for partly completed machinery, with the data of the individual serial number, puts it on the public page and stores it with a SHA-256 fingerprint. The manufacturer remains responsible for the content.
Frequently asked questions
Do machines sold before 2027 need a new declaration?
No. Machinery placed on the market before 20 January 2027 keeps its declaration under Directive 2006/42/EC. The new declaration is needed for machinery placed on the market from that date onwards.
Can the declaration be supplied in digital form only?
According to the sources we consulted, the Regulation allows it to be supplied digitally. Check the exact conditions in the official text.
What is the difference between a declaration of conformity and one of incorporation?
The declaration of conformity covers complete machinery. The declaration of incorporation covers partly completed machinery, which must be incorporated into another machine, and comes with the assembly instructions.