Start with the legal requirements
Identify the essential health and safety requirements relevant to the machine before selecting standards.
PRESUMPTION OF CONFORMITY
EU harmonised machinery standards and presumption of conformity
A practical guide to the link between EU machinery law, Official Journal citations and the standards engineers use to support conformity.
PRACTICAL WORKFLOW
Four checks before the design is frozen
Check the Official Journal status
Verify that the exact standard reference and edition are cited for the applicable machinery framework, including restrictions or withdrawal dates.
Use standards within their scope
A standard can support only the requirements and applications it actually covers. Other risks may need additional specifications or design evidence.
Document the route taken
Record the applied standards, editions, deviations and other technical specifications in the project’s conformity evidence.
COMMERCIAL CONTEXT
The standard list is live project data
Official Journal references are amended over time. A copied standards list can become stale, so edition and citation checks belong in design reviews and change control.
PRIMARY SOURCES
Work from the live legal record
Use the consolidated EUR-Lex text and current Commission machinery material. Secondary summaries are useful orientation, but they should not be the final authority for dates, scope or cited standards.
Official references
Consolidated Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 · European Commission machinery portal · Consolidated harmonised-standards decision
COMMON QUESTIONS
presumption of conformity FAQs
Does compliance with any EN standard create presumption of conformity?
No. The relevant reference must be published in the Official Journal for the applicable legislation, and the presumption is limited to the requirements covered by that standard.
Can a machine comply without using harmonised standards?
Harmonised standards are generally voluntary. Other technical solutions may be used, but the manufacturer needs suitable evidence that the applicable essential requirements are met.
Where should the current list be checked?
Use EUR-Lex and the European Commission machinery pages, then verify the exact reference, amendments, restrictions and withdrawal dates for the project.
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