Glossary: Machinery Regulation and digital instructions for use

The Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 applies from 20 January 2027 and comes with its own terminology. This glossary summarises the most important terms for manufacturers, importers and distributors. Most of the Regulation's definitions are found in Article 3; the definitions here are summarised in substance. Background information can be found in the guides to the Machinery Regulation and to digital instructions for use.

A

Assembly instructions

Assembly instructions are the document that the manufacturer of partly completed machinery must supply with it and that describes how it is to be incorporated into the complete machinery (Article 11, Annex XI of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230). They may be provided digitally, must then be online for at least ten years and, at the request of the person incorporating the machinery at the time of purchase, must be supplied on paper free of charge within one month (Article 11(7)).

Authorised representative

An authorised representative is a natural or legal person established in the Union who has received a written mandate from the manufacturer to act on its behalf in relation to specified tasks. The Regulation governs which tasks may be delegated; responsibility for the conformity of the product remains with the manufacturer. Reference: Articles 3 and 12 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230.

C

CE marking

CE marking is the marking by which the manufacturer indicates that the product complies with the applicable requirements of Union harmonisation legislation. Importers and distributors must check whether it is affixed before placing the product on the market or making it available (Article 13(2) and Article 15(2) of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230).

Conformity assessment

Conformity assessment is the procedure used to establish whether a product meets the requirements of the Regulation. For machinery listed in Annex I, Part A, a notified body must be involved; for Annex I, Part B, this is not required only if harmonised standards or common specifications are applied in full; all other machinery undergoes internal production control (Article 25 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230).

D

Digital instructions for use

Digital instructions for use are instructions for use that the manufacturer provides in digital format instead of on paper, which Article 10(7) of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 expressly permits but does not require. The conditions are access information on the machinery, a format that can be printed, downloaded and saved, and online availability for the expected lifetime, at least ten years. At the user's request at the time of purchase, they must be supplied in paper format free of charge within one month.

Digital product passport

The digital product passport (DPP) is a product-related digital data set under the Ecodesign Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 (ESPR), which only becomes mandatory for product groups specified in delegated acts. The Machinery Regulation contains no DPP obligation, and the ESPR working plan 2025–2030 does not include machinery as a product group. More on this in the guide Digital product passport for machinery.

Distributor

A distributor is any natural or legal person in the supply chain, other than the manufacturer or the importer, that makes a product available on the market. Before making a product available, it checks, among other things, the CE marking, the EU declaration of conformity and whether the instructions for use and information under Article 10(7) are supplied in a language that can be easily understood by users (Article 15(2) of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230).

E

Economic operator

Economic operator is the Regulation's collective term for manufacturers, authorised representatives, importers and distributors. Each economic operator has its own obligations, which are governed by Articles 10 to 18 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230.

EU declaration of conformity

The EU declaration of conformity is the declaration by which the manufacturer assumes responsibility for the machinery or related product meeting the requirements of the Regulation (Article 21, model in Annex V, Part A of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230). It may be supplied with the product or made accessible via an internet address or a machine-readable code in the instructions for use; digital declarations must be online for at least ten years (Article 10(8)). More in the guide Digital EU declaration of conformity.

EU declaration of incorporation

The EU declaration of incorporation is the declaration by the manufacturer of partly completed machinery stating which essential requirements have been applied and fulfilled; its model is set out in Annex V, Part B of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230. It is supplied with the partly completed machinery or, alternatively, made accessible via an internet address or a machine-readable code in the assembly instructions, and must then be available online for at least ten years (Article 11(8)).

H

Harmonised standard

A harmonised standard is a European standard adopted on the basis of a request from the European Commission and whose reference has been published in the Official Journal of the EU. Its application gives rise to a presumption that the requirements it covers are met. For machinery listed in Annex I, Part B, the internal production control procedure (Module A) is only possible if harmonised standards or common specifications are applied in full (Article 25 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230).

I

Importer

An importer is a natural or legal person established in the Union that places a product from a third country on the Union market. Among other things, it must check the technical documentation, CE marking and accompanying documents, ensure that the instructions for use are supplied and keep the EU declaration of conformity available for ten years (Article 13 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230). See also Obligations for importers.

Instructions for use

The instructions for use are the document that the manufacturer must supply with every machine and every related product and that describes safe putting into service, use and maintenance. Their mandatory content is governed by Annex III, Part B, section 1.7.4, and the obligation to supply them by Article 10(7) of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230.

M

Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC

The Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC is the previous EU legal framework for machinery, which is repealed by the Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 with effect from 20 January 2027 (Article 51). Machinery placed on the market under the Directive before that date may continue to be made available (Article 52). The differences are explained in the guide Machinery Directive vs. Machinery Regulation.

Making available on the market

Making available on the market means any supply of a product for distribution, consumption or use on the Union market in the course of a commercial activity, whether in return for payment or free of charge. Unlike placing on the market, making available can take place again at every link in the supply chain, for example at the distributor. Reference: Article 3 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230.

Manufacturer

A manufacturer is a natural or legal person who manufactures a product or has it designed or manufactured, and markets it under its own name or trademark. Anyone who places a product on the market under their own name or modifies it in such a way that conformity may be affected is also considered the manufacturer (Article 17), as is anyone who carries out a substantial modification (Article 18 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230). The manufacturer's obligations are set out in Article 10.

Market surveillance

Market surveillance is the activity of Member States' authorities to check whether products on the market meet the requirements and to take action in the event of infringements. Manufacturers must keep the technical documentation and the EU declaration of conformity at the disposal of the market surveillance authorities for at least ten years (Article 10(3) of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230).

MaschinenDG

The MaschinenDG (Maschinenverordnung-Durchführungsgesetz, German Machinery Regulation Implementation Act) is the German law implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1230, signed into law on 2 December 2025 (BGBl. 2025 I No. 302). Among other things, it stipulates that in Germany the instructions for use, safety information and EU declaration of conformity must be drawn up in German (Section 2), and it governs fines (Section 9) and criminal offences (Section 10); its main provisions apply from 20 January 2027 (Section 12).

N

Non-professional user

A non-professional user is a person who does not use machinery in the course of a professional activity, typically a consumer. For products intended for such users or which may, under reasonably foreseeable conditions, be used by them, the manufacturer must provide the safety information essential for safe putting into service and use on paper (Article 10(7), fourth subparagraph, of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230). Exactly which information this includes is still open to interpretation.

Notified body

A notified body is a conformity assessment body that a Member State has notified to the Commission for specific conformity assessment procedures. The provisions on notification (Articles 26 to 42 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230) have already applied since 20 January 2024; for machinery listed in Annex I, Part A, a notified body must be involved.

P

Partly completed machinery

Partly completed machinery is an assembly which almost forms machinery but cannot in itself perform a specific application and is intended to be incorporated into other machinery. Its manufacturer must supply or make accessible assembly instructions in accordance with Annex XI and an EU declaration of incorporation in accordance with Annex V, Part B (Article 11 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230).

Placing on the market

Placing on the market is the first making available of a product on the Union market. According to the prevailing interpretation, it refers to the individual unit: machinery placed on the market for the first time from 20 January 2027 must comply with the Regulation, even if the model has been built for some time (Articles 3, 52 and 54 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230). Placing on the market starts the minimum period of ten years for the online availability of digital instructions.

Putting into service

Putting into service is the first use of a product, for its intended purpose, in the Union. It is relevant, among other things, for machinery that a company manufactures for its own use and never makes available on the market. Reference: Article 3 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230.

Q

QR code

A QR code is a two-dimensional, machine-readable code that can be read with a smartphone camera and usually contains an internet address. In the context of the Machinery Regulation, it can serve as access information for the digital instructions for use (Article 10(7), second subparagraph, point (a)) and as a machine-readable code for the EU declaration of conformity (Article 10(8) of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230). It is important that the target address remains accessible for the entire mandatory period; more in the guide Instructions for use via QR code.

S

SHA-256 checksum

A SHA-256 checksum is a 64-digit hexadecimal value calculated from the content of a file, which changes completely with every change to the file, however small. It can be used to prove that a document is unchanged, for example which version of the instructions for use was provided at a given point in time. The Machinery Regulation does not require checksums; they are a technical aid for providing evidence.

Substantial modification

A substantial modification is a physical or digital modification of machinery after it has been placed on the market or put into service, not foreseen or planned by the manufacturer, which requires additional guards or protective devices or measures because of a new hazard or an increased risk (Article 3, point (16), of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230). Anyone who substantially modifies machinery is considered the manufacturer, except non-professional users for their own use (Article 18).

T

Technical documentation

Technical documentation comprises the documents with which the manufacturer demonstrates that the product meets the requirements of the Regulation, such as design documents, risk assessment and test reports. Together with the EU declaration of conformity, it must be kept at the disposal of the market surveillance authorities for at least ten years; new is that, on reasoned request, source code or programming logic must also be provided, insofar as necessary for checking conformity (Article 10(3) of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230).

This article reflects the situation as of 04/10/2026 and does not constitute legal advice. The authoritative text is Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 as published in the Official Journal of the EU, together with the national implementing provisions.