EU Authorized Representative

For North American manufacturers with no physical office in Europe, appointing an EU Authorized Representative (often called an EU Rep) is not just a formality—it is a strategic necessity for market access. Under the Machinery Regulation and the Market Surveillance Regulation, you must designate an Economic Operator within the EU to hold your compliance data. The Authorized Representative fulfills this role through a formal written mandate.

Their primary duty is to keep your Technical File and Declaration of Conformity (DoC) available for inspection by authorities like Trading Standards for at least 10 years. They act as your legal face in Europe; if a safety regulator has a question about your machine, they contact your Representative, not your US headquarters directly.

Crucially, this role is distinct from your sales partners. While you can appoint a distributor, many manufacturers prefer a neutral, professional third party to protect their intellectual property. This keeps your sensitive technical drawings and Risk Assessment data confidential, ensuring your commercial distributors focus on selling rather than compliance auditing.