18.10.19

Requirements for the EC Declaration of Conformity according to the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC

  • The EC declaration of conformity must be drawn up before the machinery, its assembly, lifting accessories, etc. is placed on the market and/or put into service. The EC declaration of conformity is a legally binding declaration by the manufacturer or his authorised representative that the machinery in question complies with all the relevant provisions of the Machinery Directive.

  • The declaration of conformity must be typewritten or otherwise handwritten in capital letters. It must either be an integral part of the instruction handbook or can be supplied separately with the machine.

  • The original EC declaration of conformity must be kept by the manufacturer of machinery or his authorised representative for at least 10 years after the last date of manufacture of the machinery.

What information must the EC declaration of conformity according to the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC contain?

The contents of the EC Declaration of Conformity are listed in the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, Annex II Part 1 Section A.
This appendix can be found here: eur-lex.europa Maschinenrichtlinie
 
At a glance, the Annex to the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC contains the following requirements, among others:
  • the trade name and full address of the manufacturer and, where appropriate, of his authorised representative
  • name and address of the person empowered to compile the technical documentation
  • description and identification of the machinery, including its general name, function, model, type, serial number and trade name
  • A sentence explicitly stating that the machinery complies with all relevant provisions of the Machinery Directive and, where appropriate, a similar sentence stating compliance with other Directives and/or relevant provisions.
  • the sources of the harmonised standards applied. The reference of the harmonised standards in the Official Journal, i.e. the number, the date of adoption by CEN or CENELEC and the title should be indicated on the declaration of conformity.
  • place and date of the declaration
  • the identity of the person empowered to draw up this declaration on behalf of the manufacturer or his authorised representative and the signature of that person

In which language must the EC declaration of conformity according to the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC be drafted?

The EC declaration of conformity must be drawn up in one or more official EU languages. The language versions for which the manufacturer or his authorised representative is responsible must be marked "Original instruction manual" (in the appropriate language).
The declaration of conformity must always be available in the official language of the country in which the machine is used. If no original EC declaration of conformity exists in the official language(s) of the country in which the machinery is to be used, a translation into that language(s) must be provided by the manufacturer or his authorised representative or the person who imports the machinery into the relevant language area. The translation shall bear the words "Translation of the original declaration of conformity".