Vehicle-Type Machinery Exemptions
Vehicle-Type Machinery Exemptions refer to specific clauses within the Machinery Directive (and the new Machinery Regulation) that exclude certain vehicles from its scope. For North American manufacturers, it is vital to understand that cars, trucks, trailers, and agricultural tractors generally do not require a CE Mark under machinery laws. Instead, they are regulated under specific EU "Type Approval" legislation designed for road safety.
However, a critical distinction exists for "machinery mounted on vehicles." While a truck chassis is exempt, the garbage compactor, crane, or mixing unit mounted onto it is not. That specific equipment is considered machinery and must undergo a full Risk Assessment to meet Essential Health & Safety Requirements (EHSRs).
Furthermore, off-road mobile machinery that is not intended for road use usually falls entirely under the machinery safety rules. Manufacturers must carefully define the "intended use" to determine if their product requires automotive homologation or standard machinery certification.
