Digital instructions for machinery, Art. 10(7)
By Redaktion Maschinenpass · As of · Machinery Regulation
Short answer
Instructions may be provided digitally if Art. 10(7) of the Machinery Regulation is met: a notice on the product on how to access them, printable, downloadable and storable, and available online for the lifetime of the machine, at least ten years. On request at the time of purchase they are supplied free of charge on paper. In Germany the notice and the instructions are in German.
What Art. 10(7) requires
| Requirement | Reference |
|---|---|
| Assign the instructions unambiguously to the model | Art. 10(7) first subparagraph |
| Notice on the product on how to access the digital instructions | Art. 10(7) second subparagraph, point (a) |
| Print, download and save; access also when the machine has broken down | Art. 10(7) second subparagraph, point (b) |
| Available online for the expected lifetime of the machine, at least ten years | Art. 10(7) second subparagraph, point (c), Art. 3 point 34 |
| Paper on request at the time of purchase, within one month, free of charge | Art. 10(7) third subparagraph |
| Safety information on paper if non-professional use is foreseeable | Art. 10(7) fourth subparagraph |
| Language: clear, understandable, legible; language of the market | Art. 10(7), Annex III 1.7.1 |
Online duty: lifetime and at least ten years
The longer of the two periods counts: the expected lifetime or ten years from placing on the market. The Regulation does not address the insolvency of the manufacturer. Termination of a service provider, deletion of an account or a change of domain must not interrupt availability.
Omnibus IV
The provisionally agreed Omnibus IV mainly concerns the declaration of conformity. Art. 10(7) is unchanged in the provisional text; paper on request remains. It is not adopted law.
What this means in practice
- Set the expected lifetime for each model and derive the end of availability from it.
- Keep PDF files that can be printed and saved. A pure online viewer is not enough.
- Set up the paper process before the first request arrives.
Frequently asked questions
May I drop paper entirely?
No. On request at the time of purchase you must supply the instructions free of charge on paper within one month.
How long must digital instructions stay online?
For the expected lifetime of the machine, at least ten years.
Sources and references
References come from the editorial research of 5 November 2026. Consolidated versions and summaries are not legally binding; the Official Journal is authoritative. Standards texts were not read.
- Verordnung (EU) 2023/1230, konsolidierte Fassung vom 27.07.2026 (EUR-Lex, nicht rechtsverbindlich) (Primary source)
- Berichtigung 2025/90297 der deutschen Fassung vom 01.04.2025 (EUR-Lex) (Primary source)
- Maschinenverordnung-Durchführungsgesetz (MaschinenDG), BGBl. 2025 I Nr. 302, Section 2 (language), section 12 (applies from 20 January 2027) (Primary source)
- Omnibus IV, vorläufige Einigung, Text PE790.900 vom 26.06.2026 (Europäisches Parlament, IMCO), Art. 5 and Annex IV (Primary source)
- Legislative Observatory, Verfahren 2025/0134(COD) (Omnibus IV) (Primary source)
- IBF: Stand des Leitfadens zur Maschinenverordnung (Secondary source)
Change log
- : First version.
Provide documents per serial number
Maschinenpass keeps instructions, declaration and file per serial number. The "Example" page shows a passport with fictional data.