What is machinery certification

Most machinery placed on the EU market gets there on the basis of self-assessment – the manufacturer independently assesses conformity with the essential requirements, draws up the EC declaration of conformity, and affixes the CE marking on its own responsibility. Machinery certification in the strict sense – that is, an assessment carried out by an external, notified body – applies only to the group of machinery listed in Annex IV of Directive 2006/42/EC and requires additional, independent verification.
This distinction is the foundation of this page: it describes only the process in which the assessment is carried out by a third party – a notified body – and not the general self-assessment process applicable to most machinery not listed in Annex IV.

What machinery certification provides

  • Lawful placement on the EU market: for machinery listed in Annex IV of Directive 2006/42/EC, involvement of a notified body is a precondition for obtaining CE marking. Without it, placing the machine on the market is unlawful.
  • Credibility confirmed by an independent third party
  • Reduced legal risk
  • A structured process: clearly defined assessment stages (described below).

When is assessment by a notified body required

The obligation to involve a notified body applies to machinery listed in Annex IV of Directive 2006/42/EC – including selected woodworking and metalworking saws, presses, injection moulding machines, machinery for underground works, and vehicle lifts. The Annex IV list is not reproduced here in full – it covers several dozen categories of machinery considered particularly hazardous.
For this group of machinery, separate conformity assessment procedures apply:

  • if the machine fully complies with harmonised standards covering all applicable essential requirements, in some cases the manufacturer may carry out the assessment itself;
  • if the standards do not cover the full scope of requirements, or have not been applied in full, involvement of a notified body is required, either through EC-type examination or assessment of the manufacturer’s full quality assurance system.

The scope and choice of procedure for a specific machine follow directly from the regulations.

GCB’s role as a notified body

GCB is notified body No. 3111 and holds PCA accreditation No. AC 255 under Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, in the area of the conformity assessment procedure under Annex IX (EC-type examination, Art. 12(3)(b) and 12(4)(a)), for the product category: vehicle lifts (item 16 of Annex IV).
We carry out the assessment independently and impartially, in accordance with the requirements for product certification bodies set out in standard PN-EN ISO/IEC 17065:2013-03, and on the basis of objective verification of the machine’s documentation and design against the applicable requirements, carried out by a competent team of experts.

What the machinery certification process at GCB looks like

01. First contact

Checking with a GCB representative whether the machine in question falls within GCB’s accredited scope (product category, applicable annex, and assessment procedure). Provision of the necessary documents to be completed and submitted to GCB.

02. Application

The manufacturer signs a non-disclosure agreement and submits a certification application together with the documentation required for its review – this marks the formal start of the actual assessment.

03. Application review

Assessment of the correctness of the submitted application and the completeness of the documentation provided by the manufacturer against the essential requirements applicable to the given machine category.

04. Offer and certification agreement

Preparation of an offer for the client based on the price list, together with signing of the certification agreement for the given machine category.

05. Type examination

  • assessment of the technical documentation
  • inspection of the submitted machine type
  • performance of the required tests and/or examinations

06. Certification decision

Once all non-conformities have been resolved and the assessment result is positive, GCB decides to issue the certificate, which forms the basis for CE marking and placing the machine on the market. The decision is based solely on the evidence gathered during the assessment. If non-conformities are not resolved, a decision to refuse the certificate is issued. The rules for the correct use of the CE marking and for referring to the certificate are set out in the document: Rules for the use of GCB marks and certificates (PDF).

07. Certificate surveillance

  • the manufacturer ensures and monitors that the machine remains consistent with the current state of the art. When changes are made to the approved machine type, they must be reported to the notified body for assessment
  • the notified body informs the manufacturer of any significant changes that could affect the validity of the certificate

08. Certificate review before the expiry date

A certificate review can lead to renewal of the EU-type examination certificate only if the client submits the request no earlier than 12 months and no later than 6 months before the certificate’s expiry date.

09. Extension of certification scope

The certification scope is extended whenever the client reports changes that may require relevant examinations and tests to be carried out.

10. Restriction of certification scope

The scope of already issued certificates may be restricted at the client’s request or as a result of the client’s failure to adapt to the evolving state of the art.

11. Suspension of certification

A certificate may be suspended if the Body determines that the requirements of the granted certification are not being met, or in connection with the operation of the certified machine type, or at the client’s request.

12. Withdrawal of certificate The notified body withdraws certificates:

  • that have expired
  • when the client has decided to terminate the agreement with GCB
  • when it is found that the issues that led to the certificate’s suspension have not been resolved within the time set by GCB

13. Reporting changes to the approved machine type

The client is required to inform GCB of any modifications to the approved type and of any changes to the machine documentation that could affect conformity within the scope of the approved certificate.

14. Changes affecting issued certificates

GCB informs all clients of any changes concerning the state of the art relevant to certified machines, indicating that approved types may no longer meet the applicable essential legal and regulatory requirements.

15. Complaints and appeals

The client is entitled to submit a complaint or appeal against a certification decision. The full list of the rights and obligations of the Client and GCB in the certification process is set out in the document: Rights and Obligations of Clients and GCB (PDF).

We certify vehicle lifts

We currently certify vehicle lifts – one of the machinery categories requiring assessment by a notified body (Annex IV, item 16 of Directive 2006/42/EC). These are devices used in workshops, service stations, and production facilities, for which conformity assessment requires an independent EC-type examination involving a notified body, prior to the manufacturer issuing the EC declaration of conformity.

From 2027: the new Machinery Regulation

On 20 January 2027, Directive 2006/42/EC will be replaced by Regulation (EU) 2023/1230. The catalogue of machinery requiring assessment by a notified body will be expanded to include, among others, machinery with safety-related functions based on machine learning. GCB is monitoring the implementation of the new regulations.