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As part of its 2020 work programme, under the priority “A Europe fit for the digital age”, the European Commission planned to revise the Machinery Directive (Directive 2006/42/EC). It has just published a new draft Regulation. This revision contributes to both the digital transition and the strengthening of the single market.
The evaluation of the Directive showed that the text was generally “relevant, effective, efficient and coherent”. However, it highlighted the need for improvements, specific simplifications and the need to fill a number of gaps.
The general objectives of the Machinery Directive are to ensure not only the free movement of machinery within the internal market but also a high level of protection for users and other exposed persons. The revision aims to solve the following problems:
- The directive does not sufficiently cover the new risks arising from emerging technologies
legal uncertainty due to a lack of clarity on the scope and definitions; - Possible safety gaps in traditional technologies;
- Insufficient provisions for high-risk machinery;
- Monetary and environmental costs due to extensive paper documentation;
- Inconsistencies with other EU product safety legislation;
- Differences in interpretation due to transposition.
