Chapter II — Obligations of economic operators

When placing machinery or a related product on the market or putting it into service, manufacturers shall ensure that it has been designed and constructed in accordance with the essential health and safety requirements set out in Annex III.
Before placing machinery or a related product on the market or putting it into service, manufacturers shall draw up the technical documentation set out in Annex IV, Part A and carry out the relevant conformity assessment procedure referred to in Article 25 or have it carried out.

Where compliance of machinery or a related product with the essential health and safety requirements laid down in Annex III has been demonstrated by that conformity assessment procedure, manufacturers shall draw up the EU declaration of conformity in accordance with Article 21 and affix the CE marking in accordance with Article 24.
Manufacturers shall keep the technical documentation and the EU declaration of conformity at the disposal of the market surveillance authorities for at least 10 years after the machinery or the related product has been placed on the market or put into service. Where relevant, the source code or the programming logic included in the technical documentation shall, upon a reasoned request, be made available to the competent national authorities, if that source code or programming logic is necessary in order for them to be able to check compliance with the essential health and safety requirements set out in Annex III.
Manufacturers shall ensure that procedures are in place in order that machinery or related products that are part of a series production remain in conformity with this Regulation. Adequate account shall be taken of changes in the production process or in the design or characteristics of the machinery or related product, and changes in the harmonised standards, in other technical specifications, or in the common specifications referred to in Article 20 by reference to which the conformity of the machinery or related product is declared.

When deemed appropriate with regard to the risks presented by machinery or related products, manufacturers shall, in order to protect the health and safety of users, carry out sample testing of machinery or related products made available on the market and investigate their results. If necessary, manufacturers shall keep a register of complaints, of non-conforming machinery or related products and machinery or related product recalls, and shall keep distributors informed of any such monitoring.
Manufacturers shall ensure that the machinery or related product which they place on the market or put into service bears at least a designation of the machinery or related product model, series or type, the year of construction, namely the year in which the manufacturing process was completed, and any batch or serial number or other element allowing its identification that exists, or, where the size or nature of the machinery or related product does not allow this, that the required information is provided on the packaging or in a document accompanying the machinery or related product.
Manufacturers shall indicate their name, registered trade name or registered trade mark, and the postal address and website, e-mail address or other digital contact at which they can be contacted, on the machinery or related product or, where that is not possible, on its packaging or in a document accompanying the machinery or related product. The address shall indicate a single point at which the manufacturer can be contacted. The contact details shall be in a language easily understood by users and market surveillance authorities.
Manufacturers shall ensure that the machinery or related products are accompanied by the instructions for use and the information set out in Annex III. The instructions may be provided in a digital format. Such instructions and information shall clearly describe the product model to which they correspond.

(a) mark on the machinery or related product, or, where that is not possible, on its packaging or in an accompanying document, how to access the digital instructions;

(b) present them in a format that makes it possible for the user to print and download the instructions for use and save them on an electronic device so that he or she can access them at all times, in particular during a breakdown of the machinery or related product; this requirement also applies where the instructions for use are embedded in the software of the machinery or related product;

(c) make them accessible online during the expected lifetime of the machinery or related product and for at least 10 years after the placing on the market of the machinery or related product.

When the instructions for use are provided in digital format, the manufacturer shall:

However, at the request of the user at the time of the purchase, the manufacturer shall provide the instructions for use in paper format free of charge within one month.

In the case of machinery or a related product intended for non-professional users or that can, under reasonably foreseeable conditions, be used by non-professional users, even if not intended for them, the manufacturer shall provide, in paper format, the safety information that is essential for putting the machinery or related product into service and for using it in a safe way.

The instructions for use, the safety information and the information set out in Annex III shall be in a language which can be easily understood by users, as determined by the Member State concerned, and shall be clear, understandable and legible.
Manufacturers shall ensure that the machinery or related product is accompanied by the EU declaration of conformity set out in Annex V, Part A or, alternatively, manufacturers shall provide the internet address or machine-readable code where that EU declaration of conformity can be accessed in the instructions for use and the information set out in Annex III.

Digital EU declarations of conformity shall be made accessible online for the expected lifetime of the machinery or related product and in any event for at least 10 years after the placing on the market or the putting into service of the machinery or related product.
Manufacturers who consider or have reason to believe that machinery or a related product, which they have placed on the market or put into service is not in conformity with this Regulation shall immediately take the corrective actions necessary to bring that machinery or related product into conformity, to withdraw it or to recall it, as appropriate. Furthermore, where the machinery or related product presents a risk to the health or safety of persons, and, where appropriate, domestic animals or to property, and, where applicable, to the environment, manufacturers shall immediately inform the competent national authorities of the Member States in which they made the machinery or related product available on the market, or in which they put it into service, to that effect, giving details, in particular, of the non-conformity and of any corrective actions taken.
Manufacturers shall, further to a reasoned request from a competent national authority, provide that authority with all the information and documentation, in paper or digital format, necessary to demonstrate the conformity of the machinery or related products with this Regulation, in a language which can be easily understood by that authority. They shall cooperate with that authority, at its request, on any actions taken to eliminate the risks presented by the machinery or related products, which they have placed on the market or put into service.

Article 11 — Obligations of manufacturers of partly completed machinery¶

When placing partly completed machinery on the market, manufacturers shall ensure that it has been designed and constructed in accordance with the relevant essential health and safety requirements set out in Annex III.
Before placing partly completed machinery on the market, manufacturers shall draw up the technical documentation set out in Annex IV, Part B.

Where compliance of partly completed machinery with the relevant essential health and safety requirements set out in Annex III has been demonstrated in the technical documentation set out in Annex IV, Part B, manufacturers shall draw up the EU declaration of incorporation in accordance with Article 22.
Manufacturers shall keep the technical documentation and the EU declaration of incorporation at the disposal of the market surveillance authorities for at least 10 years after the partly completed machinery has been placed on the market. Where relevant, the source code or the programming logic included in the technical documentation shall, upon a reasoned request, be made available to the competent national authorities, if that source code or programming logic is necessary in order for them to be able to check compliance with the relevant essential health and safety requirements set out in Annex III.
Manufacturers shall ensure that procedures are in place for partly completed machinery that is part of a series production to remain in conformity with this Regulation. Adequate account shall be taken of changes in the production process, or in the design or characteristics of the partly completed machinery, and changes in the harmonised standards or other technical specifications, or in the common specifications referred to in Article 20, by reference to which the conformity of the partly completed machinery is declared or verified.
Manufacturers shall ensure that the partly completed machinery which they place on the market bears at least the designation of the partly completed machinery, the year of construction, namely the year in which the manufacturing process was completed, model and series or type and any batch or serial number or other element allowing its identification that exists, or, where the size or nature of the partly completed machinery does not allow this, that the required information is provided on the packaging or in a document accompanying the partly completed machinery.
Manufacturers shall indicate their name, registered trade name or registered trade mark, and the postal address and website, email address or other digital contact at which they can be contacted, on the partly completed machinery or, where that is not possible, on its packaging or in a document accompanying the partly completed machinery. The address shall indicate a single point at which the manufacturer can be contacted. The contact details shall be in a language easily understood by the person who incorporates the partly completed machinery into machinery and by market surveillance authorities.
Manufacturers shall ensure that the partly completed machinery is accompanied by the assembly instructions set out in Annex XI.

(a) mark on the partly completed machinery, or, where that is not possible, on its packaging or in an accompanying document, how to access the digital assembly instructions;

(b) present them in a format that makes it possible for the person who incorporates the partly completed machinery to print and download the assembly instructions and save them on an electronic device so that he or she can access them at all times, in particular during a breakdown of the partly completed machinery; this requirement also applies where the assembly instructions are embedded in the software of the partly completed machinery;

(c) make them accessible online for at least 10 years after the placing on the market of the partly completed machinery.

The assembly instructions may be provided by the manufacturer in digital format.

When the assembly instructions are provided in digital format, the manufacturer shall:

However, at the request of the person who incorporates the partly completed machinery at the time of purchase, the manufacturer shall provide the assembly instructions in paper format free of charge within one month.

The assembly instructions shall be in a language which can be easily understood by the person who incorporates the partly completed machinery, as determined by the Member State concerned, and shall be clear, understandable, and legible.
Manufacturers shall ensure that the partly completed machinery is accompanied by the EU declaration of incorporation set out in Annex V, Part B or, alternatively, manufacturers shall provide the internet address or machine readable code where that EU declaration of incorporation can be accessed in the assembly instructions set out in Annex XI.

Digital EU declarations of incorporation shall be made accessible online for at least 10 years after the placing on the market of the partly completed machinery.
Manufacturers who consider or have reason to believe that partly completed machinery which they have placed on the market is not in conformity with this Regulation shall immediately take the corrective actions necessary to bring that partly completed machinery into conformity, to withdraw it or to recall it, as appropriate. Furthermore, where the partly completed machinery presents a risk as regards the relevant essential health and safety requirements, manufacturers shall immediately inform the competent national authorities of the Member States in which they made the partly completed machinery available on the market to that effect, giving details, in particular, of the non-conformity and of any corrective actions taken.
Manufacturers shall, further to a reasoned request from a competent national authority, provide that authority with all the information and documentation, in paper or digital format, necessary to demonstrate the conformity of the partly completed machinery with this Regulation, in a language which can be easily understood by that authority. They shall cooperate with that authority, at its request, on any actions taken to eliminate the risks as regards the relevant essential health and safety requirements presented by the partly completed machinery, which they have placed on the market.

Article 12 — Authorised representatives¶

A manufacturer of a product within the scope of this Regulation may, by a written mandate, appoint an authorised representative.

The obligations laid down in Article 10(1) and Article 11(1) and the obligation to draw up the technical documentation set out in Annex IV shall not form part of the authorised representative’s mandate.
An authorised representative shall perform the tasks specified in the mandate received from the manufacturer. The mandate shall allow the authorised representative to do at least the following:

(a) keep the technical documentation and the EU declaration of conformity of machinery and related products or the EU declaration of incorporation of partly completed machinery at the disposal of the national market surveillance authorities for at least 10 years after the product has been placed on the market;

(b) further to a reasoned request from a competent national authority, provide that authority with all the information and documentation necessary to demonstrate the conformity of the product within the scope of this Regulation, either in paper or digital format;

(c) cooperate with the competent national authorities, at their request, on any actions taken to eliminate the risks presented by a product within the scope of this Regulation covered by the authorised representative’s mandate.

Importers shall place only compliant machinery or related products on the market.
Before placing machinery or a related product on the market, importers shall ensure that the appropriate conformity assessment procedures referred to in Article 25 have been carried out by the manufacturer. They shall ensure that the manufacturer has drawn up the technical documentation set out in Annex IV, Part A, that the machinery or related product bears the CE marking referred to in Article 23 and is accompanied by the required documents, and that the manufacturer has complied with the requirements set out in Article 10(5), (6) and (8).

Where an importer considers or has reason to believe that machinery or a related product is not in conformity with this Regulation, the importer shall not place it on the market until it has been brought into conformity. Furthermore, where the machinery or related product presents a risk to the health and safety of persons and, where appropriate, domestic animals and property, and, where applicable, to the environment, the importer shall inform the manufacturer and the market surveillance authorities to that effect.
Importers shall indicate their name, registered trade name or registered trade mark, and the postal address and website, email address or other digital contact at which they can be contacted, on the machinery or related product or, where that is not possible, on its packaging or in a document accompanying the machinery or related product. The contact details shall be in a language easily understood by users and market surveillance authorities.
Importers shall ensure that the machinery or related product is accompanied by the instructions for use and the information referred to in Article 10(7).
Importers shall ensure that, while the machinery or related product is under their responsibility, the storage or transport conditions do not jeopardise conformity with the essential health and safety requirements set out in Annex III.
When deemed appropriate with regard to the risks presented by machinery or a related product, importers shall, in order to protect the health and safety of persons, and where appropriate, domestic animals and property, and, where applicable, the environment carry out sample testing of machinery or related products made available on the market, investigate, and, if necessary, keep a register of complaints, of non-conforming machinery or related products and machinery or related product recalls, and shall keep distributors informed of any such monitoring.
Importers who consider or have reason to believe that machinery or a related product, which they have placed on the market, is not in conformity with this Regulation shall immediately take the corrective actions necessary to bring that machinery or related product into conformity, to withdraw it or recall it, as appropriate. Furthermore, where the machinery or related product presents a risk to the health and safety of persons and, where appropriate, domestic animals and property, and, where applicable, to the environment, importers shall immediately inform the competent national authorities of the Member States in which they made the machinery or related product available on the market to that effect, giving details, in particular, of the non-conformity and of any corrective actions taken.
Importers shall, for at least 10 years after the machinery or related product has been placed on the market, keep a copy of the EU declaration of conformity at the disposal of the market surveillance authorities and ensure that the technical documentation set out in Annex IV, Part A, can be made available to those authorities upon request.

Where relevant, the source code or the programming logic included in the technical documentation shall, upon a reasoned request, be made available to the competent national authorities, if that source code or programming logic is necessary in order for them to be able to check compliance with the essential health and safety requirements set out in Annex III.
Importers shall, further to a reasoned request from a competent national authority, provide that authority with all the information and documentation, in paper or digital format, necessary to demonstrate conformity of the machinery or related products with this Regulation in a language that can be easily understood by that authority. Importers shall cooperate with that authority, at its request, on any action taken to eliminate the risks to the health and safety of persons and, where appropriate, domestic animals and property, and, where applicable, to the environment presented by machinery or related products which they have placed on the market.

Article 14 — Obligations of importers of partly completed machinery¶

Importers shall place only compliant partly completed machinery on the market.
Before placing partly completed machinery on the market, importers shall ensure that the manufacturer has drawn up the technical documentation set out in Annex IV, Part B, that the partly completed machinery is accompanied by the required documents and that the manufacturer has complied with the requirements set out in Article 11(5), (6) and (8).

Where an importer considers or has reason to believe that partly completed machinery is not in conformity with this Regulation, the importer shall not place it on the market until it has been brought into conformity. Furthermore, where the partly completed machinery presents a risk as regards the relevant essential health and safety requirements, the importer shall inform the manufacturer and the market surveillance authorities to that effect.
Importers shall indicate their name, registered trade name or registered trade mark, and the postal address and website, email address or other digital contact at which they can be contacted, on the partly completed machinery or, where that is not possible, on its packaging or in a document accompanying the partly completed machinery. The contact details shall be in a language easily understood by the person who incorporates the partly completed machinery and by the market surveillance authorities.
Importers shall ensure that the partly completed machinery is accompanied by the assembly instructions referred to in Article 11(7).
Importers shall ensure that, while the partly completed machinery is under their responsibility, the storage or transport conditions do not jeopardise the conformity with the relevant essential health and safety requirements set out in Annex III.
Importers who consider or have reason to believe that partly completed machinery which they have placed on the market is not in conformity with this Regulation shall immediately take the corrective actions necessary to bring that partly completed machinery into conformity, to withdraw it or recall it, as appropriate. Furthermore, where the partly completed machinery presents a risk as regards relevant essential health and safety requirements, importers shall immediately inform the competent national authorities of the Member States in which they made the partly completed machinery available on the market to that effect, giving details, in particular, of the non-conformity and of any corrective actions taken.
Importers shall, for at least 10 years after the partly completed machinery has been placed on the market, keep a copy of the EU declaration of incorporation at the disposal of the market surveillance authorities and ensure that the technical documentation set out in Annex IV, Part B can be made available to those authorities upon request.
Importers shall, further to a reasoned request from a competent national authority, provide that authority with all the information and documentation, in paper or digital format, necessary to demonstrate the conformity of the partly completed machinery with this Regulation in a language that can be easily understood by that authority. Importers shall cooperate with that authority, at its request, on any action taken to eliminate the risks as regards the relevant essential health and safety requirements presented by a partly completed machinery, which they have placed on the market.

When making machinery or a related product available on the market, distributors shall act with due care in relation to the requirements of this Regulation.
Before making machinery or a related product available on the market, distributors shall verify that:

(a) the machinery or related product bears the CE marking;

(b) the machinery or related product is accompanied by the EU declaration of conformity referred to in Article 10(8);

(c) the machinery or related product is accompanied by the instructions for use and the information referred to in Article 10(7), and that they are in a language which can be easily understood by users, as determined by the Member State in which the machinery or related product is to be made available on the market;

(d) the manufacturer and the importer have complied with the requirements referred to in Article 10(5) and (6) and Article 13(3) respectively.
Where a distributor considers or has reason to believe that machinery or a related product is not in conformity with this Regulation, the distributor shall not make the machinery or related product available on the market until it has been brought into conformity. Furthermore, where the machinery or related product presents a risk to the health and safety of persons and, where appropriate, domestic animals and property, and, where applicable, to the environment, the distributor shall inform the manufacturer or the importer as well as the market surveillance authorities to that effect.
Distributors shall ensure that, while machinery or a related product is under their responsibility, the storage or transport conditions do not jeopardise conformity with the essential health and safety requirements set out in Annex III.
Distributors who consider or have reason to believe that machinery or a related product which they have made available on the market is not in conformity with this Regulation shall make sure that the corrective actions necessary to bring that machinery or related product into conformity, to withdraw it or recall it, as appropriate, are taken. Furthermore, where the machinery or related product presents a risk to the health and safety of persons and, where appropriate, domestic animals and property, and, where applicable, to the environment, distributors shall immediately inform the competent national authorities of the Member States in which they have made the machinery or related product available on the market to that effect, giving details, in particular, of the non-conformity and of any corrective actions taken.
Distributors shall, further to a reasoned request from a competent national authority, provide that authority with all the information and documentation, in paper or digital format, necessary to demonstrate the conformity of the machinery or related product with this Regulation in a language that can be easily understood by that authority. They shall cooperate with that authority, at its request, on any action taken to eliminate the risks to the health and safety of persons and, where appropriate, domestic animals and property, and, where applicable, to the environment presented by machinery or a related product which they have made available on the market.

Article 16 — Obligations of distributors of partly completed machinery¶

When making partly completed machinery available on the market, distributors shall act with due care in relation to the requirements of this Regulation.
Before making partly completed machinery available on the market, distributors shall verify that:

(a) the partly completed machinery is accompanied by the EU declaration of incorporation referred to in Article 11(8);

(b) the partly completed machinery is accompanied by the assembly instructions referred to in Article 11(7), and that they are in a language which can be easily understood by the person who incorporates the partly completed machinery as determined by the Member State in which the partly completed machinery is to be made available on the market;

(c) the manufacturer and the importer have complied with the requirements referred to in Article 11(5) and (6) and Article 14(3) respectively.
Where a distributor considers or has reason to believe that partly completed machinery is not in conformity with this Regulation, the distributor shall not make the partly completed machinery available on the market until it has been brought into conformity. Furthermore, where the partly completed machinery presents a risk as regards relevant essential health and safety requirements, the distributor shall inform the manufacturer or the importer as well as the market surveillance authorities to that effect.
Distributors shall ensure that, while a partly completed machinery is under their responsibility, the storage or transport conditions do not jeopardise conformity with the relevant essential health and safety requirements set out in Annex III.
Distributors who consider or have reason to believe that partly completed machinery which they have made available on the market is not in conformity with this Regulation shall make sure that the corrective actions necessary to bring that partly completed machinery into conformity, to withdraw it or recall it, as appropriate, are taken. Furthermore, where the partly completed machinery presents a risk as regards the relevant essential health and safety requirements distributors shall immediately inform the competent national authorities of the Member States in which they have made the partly completed machinery available on the market to that effect, giving details, in particular, of the non-conformity and of any corrective actions taken.
Distributors shall, further to a reasoned request from a competent national authority, provide that authority with all the information and documentation, in paper or digital format, necessary to demonstrate the conformity of the partly completed machinery with this Regulation. They shall cooperate with that authority, at its request, on any action taken to eliminate the risks as regards the essential health and safety requirements presented by partly completed machinery which they have made available on the market.

Article 17 — Cases in which obligations of manufacturers apply to importers and distributors¶

An importer or distributor shall be considered to be a manufacturer for the purposes of this Regulation, and shall be subject to the obligations of the manufacturer set out in Articles 10 and 11, where that importer or distributor places a product within the scope of this Regulation on the market under its name or trademark or modifies a product already placed on the market in such a way that compliance with the applicable requirements might be affected.

Article 18 — Other cases in which obligations of manufacturers apply¶

A natural or legal person that carries out a substantial modification of machinery or a related product shall be considered to be a manufacturer for the purposes of this Regulation and shall be subject to the obligations of the manufacturer set out in Article 10 for that machinery or related product or, if the substantial modification has an impact on the safety of only machinery or a related product that is part of an assembly of machinery, for that affected machinery or related product, as demonstrated in the risk assessment.

The person who carries out the substantial modification shall in particular, but without prejudice to other obligations set out in Article 10, ensure and declare on its sole responsibility that the machinery or related product concerned is in conformity with the applicable requirements of this Regulation and shall apply the relevant conformity assessment procedure as provided in Article 25 (2), (3) and (4) of this Regulation.

A non-professional user who carries out a substantial modification to his or her machinery or related product, for his or her own use, shall not be considered to be a manufacturer for the purposes of this Regulation and shall not be subject to the obligations on the manufacturer set out in Article 10.

Article 19 — Identification of economic operators¶

Economic operators shall, on request, identify the following to the market surveillance authorities:

(a) any economic operator who has supplied them with a product within the scope of this Regulation;

(b) any economic operator to whom they have supplied a product within the scope of this Regulation.
In order to be able to comply with the obligation in paragraph 1, economic operators shall retain the information referred to in that paragraph for at least 10 years after they supplied or were supplied with the products within the scope of this Regulation.