Guide · updated 29 September 2026
New EU Machinery Regulation 2023/1230: what changes and what to do before 20 January 2027
Everything a machinery manufacturer needs to know to make sure its machinery and manuals comply with the new EU Machinery Regulation, with links to the official text of each requirement.
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Summary in 30 seconds
Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 replaces the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and applies from 20 January 2027. It is a regulation: it applies directly and uniformly throughout the EU. It adds 10 new requirements and amends 15 of the 109 we analyse (Annex III and Article 10), including the cybersecurity of control systems, machinery with self-evolving behaviour and new content for the manual. It also allows digital instructions and a digital EU declaration of conformity.
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Check my manual for freeDate of application: 20 January 2027 (not the 14th)
Many sources still quote 14 January 2027. That is the date in the text published on 29 June 2023 (OJ L 165), but a corrigendum published in OJ L 169 of 4 July 2023 changed it to 20 January 2027. From that day, all machinery or related products placed on the EU market or put into service must comply with the Regulation, and Directive 2006/42/EC is repealed.
Who is affected
- Manufacturers of machinery and related products: safety components, lifting accessories, chains, ropes and webbing, and removable mechanical transmission devices.
- Manufacturers of partly completed machinery, which must be accompanied by its assembly instructions.
- Importers and distributors, who must check that the machinery bears the CE marking and comes with a compliant declaration and instructions.
- Anyone who carries out a substantial modification of machinery, who then takes on the manufacturer's obligations.
What changes compared with Directive 2006/42/EC
We have compared Annex III and Article 10 of the Regulation with Annex I of the Directive. These are the requirements that change for a manufacturer. Each one links to its page with the official text and what the manual must reflect.
New requirements (10)
- 1.1.9Protection against corruptionNew requirement (functional cybersecurity). Presumption of conformity possible through certification under Regulation (EU) 2019/881 (Art. 20(9)).
- 1.7.4.2(1)(v)Immediate rescue of personsNew point (in the Directive, point (v) covered non-ionising radiation).
- 1.7.4.2(1)(x)Emission of hazardous substancesNew point: data on emissions of hazardous substances.
- 3.2.4Supervisory functionNew section.
- 3.6.3.3Autonomous mobile machinery or related productsNew section.
- Art. 10(7)(a)Digital instructions: how to access themNew regime for digital instructions.
- Art. 10(7)(b)Digital instructions: printable and downloadableNew regime for digital instructions.
- Art. 10(7)(c)Digital instructions: online availabilityNew regime for digital instructions.
- Art. 10(7), third subparagraphFree paper copy on requestNew regime for digital instructions.
- Art. 10(7), fourth subparagraphNon-professional users: safety information on paperNew regime for digital instructions.
Amended requirements (15)
- Annex III B.1Risk assessment and risk reductionAdds hazards arising from self-evolving behaviour or logic and from varying levels of autonomy.
- 1.1.1ApplicabilityReworded: the definitions move to Part A and 1.1.1 now governs applicability to partly completed machinery.
- 1.1.2Principles of safety integrationNew: the machinery must allow the user to test the safety functions and be supplied with a description of the test procedures.
- 1.1.6ErgonomicsNew points (b) (postures and forces) and (f)–(g) on the interface and communication of machinery with self-evolving logic and varying levels of autonomy.
- 1.2.1Safety and reliability of control systemsSubstantial change: adds third-party attacks, 5-year/1-year data logging, requirements for self-evolving behaviour and the learning phase.
- 1.2.6Failure of the power supply or communication network connectionAdds loss of the communication network connection.
- 1.3.7Risks related to moving partsNew paragraph on psychological stress and on coexistence/interaction between people and machinery.
- 1.6.2Access to operating positions and servicing pointsAdds that access points for entering the machinery must allow the use of rescue equipment.
- 1.7.3Marking of machinery or related productsThe mandatory identification data move to Articles 10(5), 10(6) and 24.
- 1.7.4Instructions for useRefers to Article 10(7) (digital format possible).
- 1.7.4.1General principles for the drafting of instructions for useThe Annex no longer requires the wording ‘Original instructions’ / ‘Translation of the original instructions’.
- 1.7.4.2(1)(c)EU declaration of conformity or access to itFormerly ‘EC declaration’; a web link or machine-readable code is now permitted (Art. 10(8)).
- Art. 10(6)Manufacturer contact detailsAdds the digital contact (website, e-mail address or other digital contact).
- Art. 10(7)Instructions accompanying the machineryDigital format is permitted.
- Art. 10(8)EU declaration of conformityA digital EU declaration of conformity is permitted (link or machine-readable code).
Digital instructions (Art. 10(7))
For the first time, instructions for use may be supplied in digital format. It is optional and comes with conditions:
- Indicate on the machinery (or, where that is not possible, on the packaging or in an accompanying document) how to access them. In practice, a QR code on the rating plate.
- Provide them in a format that can be downloaded, saved and printed, so they can also be consulted during a breakdown.
- Keep them online for the expected lifetime and for at least ten years after placing on the market.
- Supply a free paper copy if the user requests one at the time of purchase, within one month.
- If the machinery may be used by non-professional users, the essential safety information must also be supplied on paper.
Full guide to digital instructions: conditions, checklist and common mistakes →
What the manual must include
The minimum content of the instructions is set out in Annex III, section 1.7.4.2(1), points (a) to (x). Compared with the Directive, the main additions are the immediate rescue of persons (point (v)), emission data for hazardous substances (point (x)) and the reference to the EU declaration of conformity, which can now be given via a link or code (point (c)). The manual must also document the new design requirements that affect the user, such as protection of software against corruption or safety functions that can be tested.
What to do before 20 January 2027
- Inventory. List the machinery families you will still be placing on the market after 20 January 2027 and their target languages.
- Risk assessment. Review it against the new and amended requirements: cybersecurity (1.1.9), control systems (1.2.1), self-evolving behaviour, ergonomics and psychological stress.
- Instruction manual. Compare it with Annex III, section 1.7.4.2: add the new points and update the reference to the EU declaration of conformity.
- Format of the instructions. Decide whether to switch to digital instructions (Article 10(7)) and prepare the QR code, hosting for at least ten years and the paper-copy procedure.
- EU declaration of conformity. Update it to Regulation 2023/1230 (no longer Directive 2006/42/EC) and consider providing it via a link or code (Article 10(8)).
- Marking and contact details. Check the rating plate: the Article 10(5) data and the manufacturer's digital contact (Article 10(6)).
- Translations. Update every language version of the manual, not just the original.
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Free check →Frequently asked questions
When does the Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 apply?
From 20 January 2027. The original text published in the Official Journal said 14 January 2027, but a corrigendum (OJ L 169, 4 July 2023) set the date at 20 January. From that date, machinery placed on the EU market must comply with the Regulation, which repeals Directive 2006/42/EC.
What about machinery that has already been sold?
The Regulation applies to machinery placed on the market or put into service from 20 January 2027. Machinery placed on the market earlier under Directive 2006/42/EC does not need to be brought into line, unless a substantial modification turns it into new machinery.
Does the instruction manual have to change?
Yes, in most cases. Annex III adds mandatory content (for example, information on the rescue of persons and on emissions of hazardous substances), changes the reference to the declaration of conformity and requires new requirements such as protection against corruption of software to be documented. A manual written for Directive 2006/42/EC usually falls short.
Can the instructions be supplied in digital format only?
Yes, it is an option (Article 10(7)). The machinery must indicate how to access them (usually with a QR code), they must be downloadable and printable, they must stay online for the lifetime of the machinery and for at least ten years, and a free paper copy must be supplied if the buyer asks for one. For machinery that may be used by non-professional users, the essential safety information must also be supplied on paper.
Can the EU declaration of conformity be digital?
Yes. Article 10(8) allows the EU declaration of conformity to be provided through an internet address or a machine-readable code, instead of always supplying a paper copy.
What is the difference between a directive and a regulation?
A directive has to be transposed into each country's national law; a regulation applies directly and identically throughout the EU. With Regulation 2023/1230, the national laws transposing the Machinery Directive (in Spain, Royal Decree 1644/2008) fall away and the same text applies in every Member State.
Official sources
- Regulation (EU) 2023/1230, OJ L 165, 29.6.2023 (EUR-Lex)
- Corrigendum, OJ L 169, 4.7.2023 (date of application)
- All versions and consolidated texts on EUR-Lex
- Directive 2006/42/EC (EUR-Lex)
This guide is for information only and does not constitute legal advice. The page for each requirement reproduces the official text; the summaries are our own.