tekom Europe taking part in meeting of EC Expert Group on Machinery

The 10th meeting of the European Commission’s ‘Expert Group Machinery (E03676)’, with tekom Europe participating for the first time, took place on April 27 in Brussels. As mentioned in the press release on March 9, tekom Europe has been newly appointed as a member of the EC Expert Group on Machinery (E03676).

Mr. Jens Heuer-James, the expert appointed by tekom Europe, summarized that the meeting focused on the implementation of EU Machinery Regulation 2023/1230, as well as on related harmonized standards, digital product information, and ongoing standardization activities. The meeting offered the opportunity to discuss with the European Commission and the representatives of market surveillance authorities, industry associations, and CEN/CENELEC several details in an extensive and sometimes controversial manner. Some of the topics to be highlighted include:

• The report on progress made in the preparation of the EC Guide to Application of the Machinery Regulation, where tekom Europe has already drawn up a position paper. Further lobbying is required here to ensure, among other things, that tekom Europe’s requirements regarding the preparation of essential safety information based on risk assessment are met. 
• The presentation of an Accident Data Analysis by the European Commission. This was based on a survey on machinery-related accidents and was intended to support decisions on Annex I machinery classification of the Machinery Regulation. However, the participants were highly critical of the survey and its suitability and expressed their concerns. 
• As regards harmonized standards, a gap analysis shows that around 660 existing standards remain relevant under the Machinery Regulation.  For new essential health and safety requirements (EHSRs), particularly in relation to cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and digital aspects, further actions are needed. For citation, an updated list of harmonized standards is expected to be available in October 2026.
• The Digital Product Passport is seen as “the container” for  product-related information, with different levels of accessibility for users of the product, market surveillance authorities, customs authorities, and others. 

The opportunity to participate in the discussions with the European Commission is a significant step forward in lobbying for tekom Europe. It had been obvious during the meeting that a lot of details dealing with digital information for use are still unclear and the European Commission as well as the other stakeholders are grateful for the qualified support tekom Europe can offer. We will closely follow up and do our best to arrive at practical solutions.

—Jens-Uwe Heuer-James, expert appointed by tekom Europe