EU Machinery Regulation 2023/1230
The Machinery Directive is repealed on 20th January 2027
- Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 replaces the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC from 20th January 2027, after a transition period of just under 42 months.
- The date that decides is when a machine is placed on the market, not when it was CE marked: machinery placed on the EU market from 20th January 2027 must conform to the new Regulation, while machines placed on the market in conformity with the Directive before that date can continue to be made available (Article 52(1)).
- Some high-risk machinery categories lose the option to self-certify.
Last updated 20th October 2026 · By Vas Parshin and Anabel Amar
Correction, 20th October 2026. An earlier version of this page said there was no overlap window after the Directive is repealed. That was wrong. The date that decides is when a machine is placed on the market, not when it is CE marked: machines placed on the market in conformity with the Directive before 20th January 2027 can continue to be made available (Article 52(1) of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230). We have corrected the page.
Why this deadline is harder than most
The Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC is repealed with effect from 20th January 2027 (Article 51(2) of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230), and the Regulation applies from the same date (Article 54). What decides which regime a machine falls under is the date it is placed on the market, not the date it was CE marked: a machine placed on the market in conformity with the Directive before 20th January 2027 may continue to be made available (Article 52(1)), but a machine first placed on the market from that date must conform to the Regulation. A line that is still being certified against the Directive and not yet placed on the market by then has to meet the Regulation instead.
Notified bodies are already re-designating
The Regulation's notified-body designation criteria (Articles 26 to 42, covering notifying authorities and the requirements notified bodies must meet) have applied since 20th January 2024, three years ahead of the general application date, precisely so the certification infrastructure is ready when manufacturers need it. In practice this means notified bodies are being re-assessed and re-designated against the new criteria now — worth confirming your existing notified body's status rather than assuming continuity.
Some high-risk machinery loses self-certification
Under the current Directive, most machinery built to harmonised standards can be self-certified by the manufacturer. The Regulation narrows this: certain high-risk machinery categories (listed in Annex I) require third-party conformity assessment regardless of harmonised-standard compliance. If any product in your range sits in one of those categories, the assessment route itself changes, not just the paperwork.
Digital instructions become the default
Instructions for use can now be digital rather than paper by default. A paper copy is still required free of charge if the user requests one at the time of purchase, and machinery intended for (or foreseeably used by) non-professional users must always get its essential safety information in paper form regardless of request. Digital instructions must stay accessible online and downloadable for the product's expected lifetime and for at least 10 years after it's placed on the market. Digital-by-default is a real cost saving, but it's a documentation-process change, not a formality.
Questions
When does the Machinery Regulation actually apply?
Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 entered into force on 19th July 2023 and applies from 20th January 2027, a transition period of just under 42 months. The Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC is repealed with effect from the same date; machinery placed on the market in conformity with the Directive before it may continue to be made available (Article 52(1)).
Is there a grace period where both rules apply?
Not for new placements. Machinery placed on the market from 20th January 2027 must conform to Regulation (EU) 2023/1230. Machinery already placed on the market in conformity with the Directive before that date may continue to be made available (Article 52(1)); it is the placing-on-market date that counts.
What changes for notified bodies and certification routes?
Notified-body designation rules under the new Regulation have already been in force since 20th January 2024, three years ahead of the main application date, so bodies are being re-designated against the new criteria now. Some categories of high-risk machinery that could previously self-certify against harmonised standards will require third-party conformity assessment under the Regulation.
What's new about instructions and documentation?
Instructions for use can be digital by default rather than paper. A paper copy must still be provided free of charge on request at the time of purchase, and machinery for non-professional users must always get its essential safety information in paper form regardless of request; digital manuals must be accessible online and downloadable for at least 10 years.
Where we fit
The hard part isn't reading the Regulation, it's knowing whether your product range crosses into the categories that lose self-certification, confirming your notified body's re-designation status, and rebuilding the technical file and instructions on the new basis before 20th January 2027 — with no fallback date if you're not ready. We scope the gap and manage the transition end to end.
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