Feature

Machinery Directive becomes Machinery Regulation – what does that mean for you?

The EU Machinery Regulation, published in 2023, will officially replace the Machinery Directive from 20 January 2027. Machine manufacturers now have a deadline to meet the new safety requirements for plants and machinery. Pilz explains the key changes and implications of the new regulation.

03/06/2025 10:35:17

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What is in force until the application of the Machinery Regulation becomes mandatory?
The Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC) is the current and final version of the Machinery Directive. Application has been mandatory in the EU since 2009. It is aimed primarily at manufacturers, and requires safety to be guaranteed when humans and machines interact.

If you compare the automation and engineering of today with the technical requirements of 15 years ago, it is clear that the revision of the Directive was more than sensible. Digitisation and networking, as well as the new related issues of industrial security and artificial intelligence (AI), are in the process of significantly changing factory halls, and the plant and machinery within them.

The new Machinery Regulation aspires to maintain the high level of safety that was achieved with the implementation of the Machinery Directive specifications. This means that your company must meet all the specifications of the new Machinery Regulation within the transitional period.

Information and implementation of the new specifications – in terms of risk analysis, instructions for use and technical documentation, as well as conformity assessment and declaration of conformity with subsequent CE marking – mean that companies face an enormous challenge.

Read the full article in DPA's June 2025 issue

Written By Sophia Bell

Sophia Bell is the Group Editor of DPA, Connectivity, and PBSI. She joined the team in 2020 as Assistant Editor after achieving a First-Class Honours BA in English Literature and Film Studies from the University of East Anglia. In her current role, she leads the editorial strategy, driving digital growth and ensuring each title continues to deliver trusted, relevant insight for engineering and manufacturing professionals.