EU Machinery Regulation

From 20 January 2027, machinery placed on the EU market must meet the regulation's essential health and safety requirements, carry CE marking with an EU declaration of conformity, and come with instructions, which may be digital. Certain high-risk machinery, including some with self-evolving AI safety functions, needs third-party conformity assessment. Importers and distributors must check conformity, and the regulation adds requirements for autonomous mobile machinery and protection against corruption of safety software. Until then, the Machinery Directive applies.

The Machinery Regulation sets the rules for every conveyor, sorter, AMR and robot cell installed in an EU warehouse from 2027. Projects that will be commissioned after 20 January 2027 should be specified to the new regulation now, since there is no transition period. For example, a 3PL signing a contract in 2026 for an automated sortation system in Spain that goes live in mid-2027 should require the integrator to deliver a declaration of conformity under Regulation (EU) 2023/1230, not the old directive.

• Autonomous Mobile RobotAMRWarehouse robot that navigates on its own
• Sortation SystemEquipment that sends each item to its lane
• Conveyor SystemBelts and rollers that move totes and cartons

• ISO 3691-42020, revised 2023 · International safety standard for AGVs and AMRs
• ANSI/RIA R15.061986, current edition 2025 · US industrial robot safety standard based on ISO 10218
• EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR)2023, applies from 2024 · Safety, labeling, and EU contact rules for products

1. Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 (EUR-Lex) eur-lex.europa.eu
2. European Commission: Machinery single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu