Since the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, the label “original instructions” has belonged on the cover of every machinery manual. With the EU Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230, which applies from 20 January 2027, this labelling requirement disappears. Yet one still reads regularly that every translation must be labelled “translation of the original instructions”. What is correct – and what does the change mean for your translations?
The old rule: original instructions and translations
The Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC distinguished, in Annex I, section 1.7.4.1, between two kinds of language versions. Versions checked by the manufacturer or the authorised representative carried the label “original instructions”. All other language versions had to be labelled “translation of the original instructions”, and the original had to accompany the translation. The idea: in case of doubt, the user could fall back on the checked version.
The new rule: the label goes
The Machinery Regulation does not carry this distinction over. It speaks only of the instructions for use, which must be drawn up in a language, determined by the member state concerned, that users can easily understand. The obligation to label language versions as “original” or “translation” therefore no longer exists. Specialist publications in technical communication, including the tekom association’s magazine, point this out.
Anyone relying on older guidance today should look closely: the European Commission’s guide to the Machinery Directive refers to the old legal position. For machinery placed on the market from 20 January 2027 it is out of date on this point.
What stays: responsibility for every language version
Dropping the label does not make translations less important – quite the opposite. Until now the user could fall back on the original when a translation was unclear. In future every language version stands on its own – there is no longer a formally designated original to point to. A mistranslated warning is thus a defect in the operating instructions for which the manufacturer is liable.
In practice this means:
- Every language version needs a release. Decide who checks and approves a translation before it ships.
- Revision is not a luxury. A second specialist check by another translator markedly reduces the risk of faulty safety notes.
- Terminology must be fixed. If “guard” is translated differently in chapter 2 and chapter 7, users can no longer read the instructions unambiguously.
- Versions must match. All language versions of a manual should be at the same revision – especially for digital instructions that must stay available for ten years.
Do I have to change existing manuals?
An existing “original instructions” or “translation of the original instructions” label is, as we understand it, not an infringement – it is simply no longer required. The switch to the Machinery Regulation is nevertheless a good occasion to simplify cover pages and rework the documentation as a whole. If you are producing new versions anyway, it is a good moment to harmonise terminology and translations too.
How we work
YTranslations translates operating instructions for machinery manufacturers into all EU languages. Every translation is revised by a second specialist translator, we maintain terminology in a client-specific termbase, and a translation memory keeps all versions consistent. Read more about the language requirements in our guide to the EU Machinery Regulation, and about our services on the technical translation page.
Free Machinery Regulation language check: send us one page of your operating instructions and your target markets through the language check form.
Last updated: September 2026. This article does not constitute legal advice; the authoritative text is Regulation (EU) 2023/1230.
