From 20 January 2027, the EU Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 applies – with no transition period. It replaces the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and puts a very practical question in front of every manufacturer: which languages do the operating instructions, safety information and EU declaration of conformity have to be in when a machine is shipped to several EU countries? This guide summarises the language requirements of the EU Machinery Regulation and shows how to get your documentation ready in all the languages you need, in time.
The EU Machinery Regulation in brief
- Date of application: 20 January 2027, no transition period.
- Language: operating instructions and safety information must be in a language, determined by the member state concerned, that users can easily understand.
- Germany: the national implementing act (MaschinenDG) makes German mandatory – for the operating instructions, the safety information and the EU declaration of conformity.
- Digital is allowed, but on request the instructions must be supplied on paper, free of charge, within one month – in the required language.
- The labels “original instructions” and “translation of the original instructions” are no longer required. The manufacturer remains responsible for every language version.
What changes with the EU Machinery Regulation on 20 January 2027
The Machinery Regulation is an EU regulation. Unlike the previous directive, it applies directly in every member state and does not have to be transposed into national law. Supplementary national rules – on language, for instance – are still set by the member states themselves. In Germany this is done in the Maschinenverordnung-Durchführungsgesetz (MaschinenDG), published in the Federal Law Gazette 2025 I No. 302.
For technical documentation this means the basic obligations remain, but several details change. Instructions may be provided digitally, the language rules are worded differently, and the old distinction between original and translation disappears. Anyone shipping machinery to several countries should check now which documents have to exist in which languages.
Which language does the EU Machinery Regulation require?
Under Article 10(7) of the Machinery Regulation, the instructions for use and the safety information must be drawn up in a language, determined by the member state concerned, that users can easily understand. The Regulation itself names no language – it leaves that decision to the country in which the machine is made available.
Germany has taken that decision in the MaschinenDG. Under Section 2, German is mandatory for:
- the operating instructions,
- the safety information,
- the EU declaration of conformity.
For partly completed machinery the same applies to the assembly instructions and the declaration of incorporation. The information telling users how to access digital instructions must also be in German.
The Regulation allows one exception: maintenance instructions intended exclusively for specialised personnel mandated by the manufacturer may be drawn up in only one official language of the Union that this personnel understands. Everything that operators and users work with must be in the national language.
EU language table: which languages do you need in which country?
For exporting manufacturers this table is the starting point. It lists the official languages of the EU and EEA countries and Switzerland. What counts in the end is what each member state lays down – so check the national rules of your target markets before placing a machine on the market.
Download the language table as a PDF (one page, in German, free, no sign-up)
| Country | Official language(s) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | German | |
| Belgium | Dutch, French, German | Depends on the language region where the machine is used |
| Bulgaria | Bulgarian | |
| Croatia | Croatian | |
| Cyprus | Greek | |
| Czechia | Czech | |
| Denmark | Danish | |
| Estonia | Estonian | |
| Finland | Finnish, Swedish | Bilingual country |
| France | French | |
| Germany | German | Laid down in Section 2 MaschinenDG |
| Greece | Greek | |
| Hungary | Hungarian | |
| Ireland | English, Irish | |
| Italy | Italian | |
| Latvia | Latvian | |
| Lithuania | Lithuanian | |
| Luxembourg | Luxembourgish, French, German | Technical documentation usually in German or French |
| Malta | Maltese, English | |
| Netherlands | Dutch | |
| Poland | Polish | |
| Portugal | Portuguese | |
| Romania | Romanian | |
| Slovakia | Slovak | |
| Slovenia | Slovenian | |
| Spain | Spanish | |
| Sweden | Swedish | |
| Iceland (EEA) | Icelandic | |
| Liechtenstein (EEA) | German | |
| Norway (EEA) | Norwegian | |
| Switzerland | German, French, Italian | Not an EU member, own legislation; language of the region concerned |
An example: a manufacturer in the English Midlands ships a sheet-metal machine to Germany, Belgium, Romania and Hungary. Besides English it then needs German, Romanian and Hungarian, and for Belgium – depending on where the machine is used – Dutch and/or French. That applies equally to the operating instructions, the safety information and the EU declaration of conformity. The languages page lists the language pairs we cover.
Digital operating instructions: less paper, not less translation
What is new is that the instructions may be provided in digital form. Conditions apply: the machine or the accompanying documents must state how users access them. The instructions must be printable, downloadable and storable on an electronic device, and they must remain available online for the expected lifetime of the machine, and for at least ten years after it is placed on the market.
Important for planning: if the user asks for a paper version at the time of purchase, the manufacturer must supply it free of charge within one month – in the language the country prescribes. For machinery intended for non-professional users, or that can reasonably be expected to be used by them, the safety information must always be supplied on paper.
So digital delivery saves printing and shipping, but not translation. Every language version has to exist before the machine ships, and has to be kept properly versioned for ten years.
EU declaration of conformity: this must be translated too
The EU declaration of conformity must be translated into the language or languages required by the member state in which the machine is made available. In Germany that is German. The document is short but legally central: it names the legislation and standards applied and carries the manufacturer’s signature. Errors in standard references, machine type or serial number range come to light at the latest when a market surveillance authority checks the file.
“Original instructions”: what goes – and what stays
Under the Machinery Directive every language version had to be labelled “original instructions” or “translation of the original instructions”. The Machinery Regulation no longer contains this labelling requirement. Some sources still rely on the guide to the old Directive – for machinery placed on the market from 20 January 2027 it is out of date on this point.
What stays: the manufacturer is responsible for the content of every language version. A mistranslated warning is a defect in the operating instructions, whether the version is labelled as a translation or not. A properly reviewed translation is therefore not a formality but part of product safety.
Checklist: multilingual documentation under the EU Machinery Regulation in six steps
- Map your target markets. Which countries do you ship to today, and which in the next few years? That gives you the list of languages.
- List the documents. Operating instructions, safety information, EU declaration of conformity, and for partly completed machinery the assembly instructions and declaration of incorporation – plus warning labels on the machine and the texts of the user interface.
- Fix the terminology. A termbase makes sure that “guard” or “emergency stop” is always translated the same way in every language – across all documents and updates.
- Translate with a translation memory. Sentences already translated are reused. That cuts the cost of every new version of the instructions considerably.
- Have it reviewed. Every translation should be revised by a second specialist translator before release – especially the warnings and safety notes.
- Organise delivery. Digital storage with versioning for at least ten years, and print-ready files in all languages for paper requests within one month.
Timeline: why you should start now
A 100-page operating manual often runs to 25,000–35,000 words. As a rule of thumb a specialist translator handles 2,000–2,500 words a day, and revision, terminology queries and layout come on top. Per language that quickly adds up to three or four weeks – several languages can run in parallel, but queries to your design department cost extra time. If you want every language version ready by 20 January 2027, commission the translations now – by autumn 2026 at the latest.
How YTranslations supports machinery manufacturers
For ten years we have been translating technical documentation for industry, including operating instructions for manufacturers of sheet-metal machinery, foundry machinery and pumps. We work in Trados Studio, build a dedicated termbase and translation memory for every client, and have every translation revised by a second linguist.
- Native-speaker specialist translators for German, Romanian, Hungarian, Slovenian, Italian, French, Lithuanian and other EU languages
- Terminology management and translation memory – lower costs with every update
- Typesetting and layout in all languages, print-ready for paper requests
- Translation of user interfaces and software strings
Find out more on our technical translation and German translation pages.
Free Machinery Regulation language check
Want to know where your documentation stands? Send us one page of your operating instructions and the list of your target markets – through our language check form. Usually within one working day you will receive from us:
- the languages you need for your target markets,
- notes on terminology and the clarity of your source text,
- an estimate of effort and timeline.
Free and without obligation. If you already have a concrete project, request a quote directly.
Frequently asked questions about the EU Machinery Regulation
When does the EU Machinery Regulation apply?
Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 applies from 20 January 2027. From that day, machinery newly placed on the market must meet the new requirements; there is no transition period.
Are English operating instructions enough for customers in the EU?
As a rule, no. The instructions must be in the language determined by the member state concerned – in Germany that is German; most other countries require their national language. The exception is maintenance instructions intended only for specialised personnel mandated by the manufacturer.
Can the operating instructions be supplied only digitally?
Yes, under conditions: they must be printable, downloadable and storable, and remain available online for at least ten years. If the user asks for a paper version at the time of purchase, it must be supplied free of charge within one month. For machinery intended for non-professional users, the safety information must always be supplied on paper.
Does the EU declaration of conformity have to be translated?
Yes. It must be translated into the language or languages required by the member state in which the machine is made available. In Germany, German is mandatory.
Does a translation still have to be labelled “translation of the original instructions”?
No. That labelling requirement from the Machinery Directive has been dropped in the Machinery Regulation. The manufacturer nevertheless remains responsible for the accuracy of every language version.
What applies to partly completed machinery?
The assembly instructions and the declaration of incorporation must be in a language, determined by the member state, that the person incorporating the partly completed machinery can easily understand. In Germany that is German.
Read on
- Digital operating instructions under the Machinery Regulation: what changes – and why translation stays
- Translating the EU declaration of conformity: what the Machinery Regulation requires
- Original instructions and translations: what changes with the Machinery Regulation
- Translating operating instructions: how terminology and translation memory cut costs
- Operating instructions under Machinery Regulation 2023/1230: duties, deadlines and checklist – HighDoc Technische Dokumentation (external, in German)
Last updated: September 2026. This article is an overview and does not constitute legal advice. The authoritative texts are Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 and, for Germany, the MaschinenDG.
