Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 on machinery

What it is

to improve and adapt the existing Machinery Directive to the new needs of the market and risks origination from emerging technologies. PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council. ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council. BACKGROUND: as part of the Commission Work Programme 2020 under the priority ‘A Europe fit for the Digital Age’, the Commission plans to revise the Machinery Directive (‘the MD’, Directive 2006/42/EC). This revision contributes to both the digital transition and to the strengthening of the single market. The Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection adopted the report by Ivan ŠTEFANEC (EPP, SK) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on machinery products. The committee recommended that the European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure be amended as follows: Member stated that the Regulation lays down requirements for the design and construction of machinery products to allow the making available on the market or putting into service of machinery products and establishes rules on the free movement of machinery products in the Union, ensuring a high level of protection for Union consumers and professional operators . The following should be excluded from the scope of the Regulation: - vehicles which have as their only objective the transport of goods, persons or animals by air, water or rail except for machinery mounted on those vehicles; - motor vehicles and their trailers, as well as systems, components and separate technical units, parts and equipment designed and constructed for such vehicles, which fall within the scope of application of Regulation (EU) 2018/858, except for machinery mounted on those vehicles; Machinery mounted on two- or three-wheel vehicles and quadricycles as well as on agricultural and forestry tractors should be covered by Regulation (EU) 2018/858. The report proposed to clarify certain definitions, such as ‘safety component’, ‘substantial modification’ and ‘manufacturer’, and suggested adding new definitions, namely ‘machine and related products’, ‘safety function’, ‘technical documentation’ and ‘lifetime’, to make the scheme more understandable. Members also considered it necessary to make a clearer distinction between the definitions that apply to ‘partly completed machinery’ and those that apply to other categories of machinery and related products. Members proposed to replace the term ‘high-risk machinery and related products’ with ‘ categories of machinery and related products subject to the specific conformity assessment procedure ’ (Annex I, Part A). The Commission could adopt delegated acts to amend Annex I, after consulting the relevant stakeholders, by adding a new machine or related product to the list of categories of machinery and associated products in Annex I, or by removing a machine or related product from that list. Where a new machine or related product is added to the list in Annex I, the Commission should ensure that…

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