What the Machinery Directive covers
Directive 2006/42/EC applies to machinery, partly completed machinery, interchangeable equipment, safety components, lifting accessories and other related products. To place them on the market the manufacturer must:
- meet the essential health and safety requirements, starting from a risk assessment;
- prepare and keep the technical file;
- draw up the EC declaration of conformity (for partly completed machinery, the declaration of incorporation);
- affix the CE marking;
- supply the instructions on paper, in the language of the destination country.
As a directive, each country transposed it into national law.
The switch to Regulation (EU) 2023/1230
Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 applies from 20 January 2027 and repeals the Directive from that date. It needs no transposition: the same text applies across the EU, and references to the Directive are read as references to the Regulation. Countries still adopt national rules on penalties and market surveillance authorities.
According to the sources consulted, machines placed on the market before 20 January 2027 in conformity with the Directive can still be made available afterwards. Placing on the market concerns the individual unit, not the model: two identical machines can follow different rules if the first was placed on the market in December 2026 and the second in February 2027.
What changes when you move to the Regulation
- Digital instructions are allowed, under specific conditions, instead of paper only.
- Substantial modification is defined in the text, including software changes.
- New requirements for control systems, protection against corruption and machines with functions that evolve through machine learning.
- Some categories of machinery need assessment by a notified body.
- The EU declaration of conformity replaces the EC declaration and can be supplied digitally.
Before updating your documents, check the official text on EUR-Lex and your specific case with your CE consultant.
What to do in practice
- Record the date of placing on the market for every serial number: it decides which rules apply.
- Keep the technical file and instructions of machines already sold under the Directive: they remain valid for those units.
- Prepare the new declaration and instruction templates for units leaving from 20 January 2027.
TARGA keeps the date, the manual version and the published declaration for every serial number, so the switch from one set of rules to the other stays documented.
Frequently asked questions
A machine built in 2026 and delivered in 2027: Directive or Regulation?
What counts is the date that individual machine is placed on the market. If it is placed on the market on or after 20 January 2027, it must comply with Regulation (EU) 2023/1230. Check borderline cases with your CE consultant.
Do I need to redo the documentation of machines already sold?
No. For machines placed on the market before 20 January 2027, the documentation drawn up under Directive 2006/42/EC remains valid and must still be kept.
Does the Machinery Directive allow digital instructions?
No, the Directive requires instructions on paper. The option to supply them digitally comes with Regulation (EU) 2023/1230.