EC declaration of conformity for machinery: what it must contain

What must the EC declaration of conformity contain?

Annex II 1.A lists ten particulars:

1. The business name and full address of the manufacturer and, where appropriate, of its authorised representative.
2. The name and address of the person authorised to compile the technical file. This person must be established in the EU.
3. A description and identification of the machinery: its generic name, function, model, type, serial number and commercial name.
4. A sentence expressly declaring that the machinery fulfils all the relevant provisions of Directive 2006/42/EC. Where appropriate, a similar sentence for the other directives the machine complies with, using their references as published in the Official Journal.
5. Where appropriate, the name, address and identification number of the notified body that carried out the EC type-examination (Annex IX), and the number of the certificate.
6. Where appropriate, the name, address and identification number of the notified body that approved the full quality assurance system (Annex X).
7. Where appropriate, a reference to the harmonised standards used.
8. Where appropriate, the reference to other technical standards and specifications used.
9. The place and date of the declaration.
10. The identity and signature of the person empowered to draw up the declaration on behalf of the manufacturer or its authorised representative.

A notified body is an organisation that an EU country has appointed to carry out conformity assessments. Under the directive, one is involved only for some machinery listed in Annex IV. For most machinery, points 5 and 6 do not apply.

How must the declaration be drawn up and kept?

• Language. It is drawn up under the same conditions as the instructions: an original, and translations marked as such (Annex II 1.A, which refers to Annex I §1.7.4.1(a) and (b)). See machinery manual translation requirements.
• Form. It must be typewritten, or else handwritten in capital letters.
• Scope. It covers the machine as it was placed on the market. It does not cover parts added, or work done, later by the final user.
• Keeping it. The manufacturer or its authorised representative keeps the original for at least 10 years from the last date of manufacture of the machine (Annex II, part 2).
• Supplying it. It must accompany the machine (Article 5(1)(e)).

Why does the manual have to include it?

Point (c) of Annex I §1.7.4.2 requires every instruction manual to contain, where applicable, "the EC declaration of conformity, or a document setting out the contents of the EC declaration of conformity". That document shows the particulars of the machinery, "not necessarily including the serial number and the signature".

The European Commission's Guide to application of the Machinery Directive (edition 2.3, §261, PDF) describes two ways to do this. The Guide is guidance, not law.

• Put the signed declaration in the manual. The Guide suggests this for one-off machines or machines made in small numbers.
• Put a section setting out the declaration's contents in the manual. The completed, signed declaration must then be supplied as well.

The manual and the declaration do not have to be in the same format (Guide §261). For example, the declaration can be on paper while the instructions are digital, or the other way round.

Point (c) is one of the 22 points the manual must cover. They are all explained on Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC manual requirements.

What mistakes are common?

What changes for the declaration in 2027?

From 20 January 2027, Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 replaces the directive (consolidated text). The declaration becomes the EU declaration of conformity:

• It follows the model structure in Annex V, Part A.
• It must be kept up to date.
• It must be translated into the language or languages the Member State requires (Article 21(2)).
• Where several EU laws each require a declaration, one single declaration covers them all (Article 21(3)).
• It must come with the machine. Alternatively, the instructions give the internet address or machine-readable code where it can be accessed (Article 10(8)). A digital declaration must stay online for the machine's expected lifetime and at least 10 years.

The manual's point (c) changes to match: the instructions contain the declaration itself, or the internet address or machine-readable code. The option of "a document setting out the contents" is gone. More on Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 instructions.

What does EU Manuals do for point (c)?

EU Manuals checks a machinery manual (Word .docx) against the 22 instruction requirements of Directive 2006/42/EC, Annex I §1.7.4.2, free of charge, and returns a corrected Word manual — written from the manufacturer's answers to its questions — for €149 excluding VAT; translations cost €14.99 per EU language, also excluding VAT. It is an automated pre-review, not a certification.

The check covers the 22 points (a)–(v) of Directive 2006/42/EC, Annex I §1.7.4.2, and nothing more; it is not legal advice, and the manufacturer remains responsible for the manual and the machine.

For point (c), the check looks at whether your manual contains the declaration, or a document setting out its contents. What this check does not cover:

• the Machinery Regulation's new points (v) (rescue of persons) and (x) (emissions of hazardous substances), and its changed point (c);
• the Regulation's small additions to points (r) and (u);
• the conditions for supplying instructions in digital form;
• whether your declaration of conformity itself is correct;
• conformity with EN ISO 20607.

To go through all 22 points yourself, use the free machinery manual checklist.

Frequently asked questions

More guides

• Machinery Directive→
• Machinery Regulation 2023/1230→
• Manual checklist→
• Translation requirements→
• EN ISO 20607→
• CE marking & manuals→