Certification Introduction
Construction machinery exported for free circulation in the EU market must obtain mandatory CE safety certification, which is a statutory market access requirement for products entering the EU market. Starting from 2026, the EU will implement a new machinery compliance framework, with the control scope covering complete construction machinery and core semi-finished components of construction machinery that require further assembly. All construction machinery placed on the EU market must meet the requirements of the new regulation.
Laws and Regulations
The core regulation is the new EU Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230, which officially takes effect on January 1, 2026, replacing the old Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC that has been used for nearly 20 years.
- Powered construction machinery must simultaneously comply with the Low Voltage Directive (2014/35/EU) and the Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive (2014/30/EU)
- CE certificates issued under the old directive remain valid within their validity period, but the maximum validity will not exceed January 14, 2027, and certificate renewal must be completed before this date
- All EU member states must implement this unified regulation, only minor differences exist at the regulatory implementation level across countries, while core requirements are consistent
Technical Requirements
- Core general standards: EN ISO 12100 Safety of machinery - Risk assessment principles, EN 60204-1 Electrical safety requirements for machinery
- Product-specific standards: The EN 474 series of safety standards apply to earthmoving construction machinery
- New requirements added by the new regulation: Connected intelligent construction machinery must meet cybersecurity requirements (including access control, data encryption, lifecycle software update management); instructions for use must be stably accessible throughout the entire product lifecycle; risk assessment must systematically cover potential hazards in all links of the product lifecycle including transportation, installation, use and maintenance
Certification Process
The conformity assessment route is determined according to the product risk level, and complete compliance technical documents (including risk assessment reports, design drawings, product manuals, verification reports, etc.) shall be prepared. Products with medium risk or above need to be submitted to an EU notified body for audit. After passing the audit, the certification document will be issued, the manufacturer signs the EU Declaration of Conformity, affixes the CE mark to the product, and retains the technical documents for spot checks by regulatory authorities.
WANVE, as a professional technical service organization, provides one-stop full compliance support for enterprise export.