The Machinery Directive is the core European legislation regulating the mechanical engineering industry.

It provides the regulatory basis for the harmonisation of the essential health and safety requirements for machinery at the level of the entire European Union.

The existing Machinery Directive (98/37/EC) will remain applicable until the 29^th December 2009. A revised Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 May 2006 on machinery, was published on 9^th June 2006 and will be applicable from 29^th December 2009: until that date, the current Machinery Directive 98/37/EC continues to apply [more]

The objectives of Orgalime include ensuring that the Machinery Directive is well implemented so that it can best fulfil the aims to which it was adopted, namely the promotion of the free movement of goods (in this case Machinery) within the European Union and the guarantee of a high level of protection to European workers and citizens.

To reach these aims Orgalime plays a prominent role as the leading partner for the mechanical sector representing the interests of the mechanical industry at relevant committees, meetings, and consultations at European level, including representation at the Machinery Directive Working Group.

At present the main activity of the Machinery Directive Core Group of Orgalime includes the coordination of all industry positions and subsequent input for the drafting process of the Guidelines for the new Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. The Orgalime Machinery Directive Core Group has been recognised by the European Commission as the official industry platform co-ordinating and consolidating all industry input. In that regard Orgalime provides a unified all industry representation (2 seats) to the European Commission's so-called Editorial Group, which is the actual body producing the first drafts of the Guidelines.

The main objectives of the Orgalime Machinery Directive Core Group are the following:

• Obtain clear and coherent Guidelines, which help industry to correctly interpret grey areas in the Machinery Directive 2006/42/ EC
• Streamline and agree on common all-industry positions including Orgalime and all sector organisations, as far as they affected. Those positions are taken based on draft text guidance emanating from industry itself, Commission or Member States’ draft proposals
• Coordinate industry positions and provide industry input to the Commission's Editorial Group in charge of drafting the Guidelines of Directive 2006/42/ EC
• Send representatives to the EC Editorial Group.

The main activity of Orgalime in the area of machinery is at the present moment the coordination of the Guidelines of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, which are currently being drafted by the Editorial Group.

The Editorial Group is an official body set up by the European Commission, which is responsible for writing the first draft texts with guidelines on 2006/42/EC. The Editorial Group is composed of the European Commission and experts from Member States and stakeholders. Orgalime is a member of the Editorial Group (2 seats) as the sole industry representative and is in charge of delivering previously co-ordinated and agreed-upon industrial input and views into the Editorial Group. The drafts of the Editorial Group need to be formally adopted by the European Commission's Machinery Directive Standing Committee in order to become official. The foreseen date of the official adoption is not known yet (dependant on the pace of discussion on the drafts which is still on-going). Once adopted, the Guidelines will serve as the adequate interpretative document to this key piece of legislation. Indeed, while the Guidelines will not be legally binding, they will nevertheless provide manufacturers with relevant advice on adequate understanding and implementation of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC.

Orgalime's Machinery Directive Core Group focuses on discussion of positions with all relevant industry sectors and co-ordination and agreement on industry's views which are subsequently submitted and defended towards the European Commission and the Editorial Group.

Orgalime industry's input to the drafting process of the Guidelines on the new Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC is set up in the form of fiches and position papers (see below) drafted by industry experts after extensive analysis.

Most of the proposals made in the Orgalime fiches and position papers have been either totally or partially taken on board by the Editorial group. They constitute therefore a useful instrument to have an overview of problem areas and proposed interpretations.

Please beware however that they do not constitute official guidelines as such.

Do you have questions on the adequate interpretation of 2006/42/EC? [more]

• Machinery Directive website of the European Commission
• European Machinery Standards
• CEN - European Committee for Standardisation 
• European Parliament - IMCO Committee