The New Machinery Regulation

The Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 is set to replace the current Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. Fortunately,
this transition will not occur overnight. The new Machinery Regulation became effective at 14th of June and
manufacturers will have another 3.5 years to facilitate the transition from the current Machinery Directive to the
Machinery Regulation. In this white paper, we explore the reasons behind the replacement of the current Machinery
Directive and provide an overview of the structure of the new regulation. We also discuss the specific changes introduced in the new regulation compared to the current directive. Using a flowchart, we illustrate how to determine whether a change to an existing machine should be regarded as substantial according to the regulation. We also examine the practical implications of the new regulation.

Why is the Machinery Directive being replaced?

The adoption of the current Machinery Directive into national legislation (Warenwetbesluit Machines in the Netherlands) has revealed instances where varying interpretations have arisen in various Member States. This has led to inadequacies and inconsistencies in the product coverage, the conformity assessment procedures and the essential health and safety requirements. Therefore, it has been decided to replace the Machinery Directive with a regulation. A regulation can be considered as European product legislation that takes effect immediately and thus eliminating the need for transposition into national legislation. This ensures that there is no longer room for divergent implementations by Member States.

Advice and Support from Certification Experts

Certification Experts part of Kader Group, is here to assist you in ensuring compliance with the new European Machinery Regulation (2023/1230). We offer guidance on helping you with interpretation and pinpointing elements that need change according to the new regulation. We can answer all related questions regarding the new European Directive and act as you Authorised Representative.

We are here to help!