CECE Technical Week: Key updates on Machinery Regulation and industry standards

• The CECE Technical Week, held from 11th to 13th March, featured discussions on machinery regulation and industry standards.

• PT Engine Emissions & Alternative Fuels discussed Low-emission zones, the Dutch Government’s DSM expectations, and the Ambient Air Quality Directive.

• PT 3R covered the Revised F-Gas regulation, Batteries and Waste Batteries Regulation, and the timeline for the Revision of the REACH Regulation.

• PT Road Circulation reviewed the NRMM Regulation, the Fka-TRL Study, and amendments to the StVZO in Germany.

• PT Noise focused on the revision of Annex III of the Outdoor Noise Directive and the publication of Directive (EU) 2024/2839 on Reporting Obligations.

• The Technical Commission meeting included a presentation on the Data Act Implementation Guidance project and updates on the UK’s post-Brexit decarbonization and product-related legislation.

The CECE Technical Commission (TC) and its active Project Teams (PTs) convened the technical experts appointed by CECE members for the quarterly "Technical Week" meetings, held from 11th to 13th March.

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The Technical Week kicked off with the meeting of PT Engine Emissions & Alternative Fuels where the PT discussed the current state of Low-emission zones in several cities in The Netherlands, Belgium and Spain. The same group was also provided an update on the Dutch Government’s Expectations on Small equipment on DSM. Additionally, the group discussed two key position papers that CECE has an interest in publishing—one focused on Low-Emission Zones and another on retrofitting—sharing progress and planning the next steps. The group was informed of the publication of the Ambient Air Quality Directive in the OJEU on 20/11/2024. Further discussions covered recent global emissions developments and the Co-Decision Process on Hydrogen, clarifying that it will take a minimum of one year to develop. The group was also informed of the recent UK NRMM relevant activities.

PT 3R started by discussing the Revised F-Gas regulation which has now seen 8 of its Implementing Acts adopted, with 5 more planned for the near future. On Batteries and Waste Batteries Regulation, the PT took a closer look on the Commission’s guidelines for the implementation of the provisions related to battery removability and replaceability, as well as implementation of the labelling and marking requirements  following CECE’s participation in the Commission’s Expert Group on Waste – Batteries Regulation. The group was also informed of the tentative timeline for the Revision of the REACH Regulation, which is planned for publication in December 2025. An update of the state of play regarding the ECHA’s sector by sector was also shared with PT3R members. Finally, on ESPR, the PT discussed the Commission’s First ESPR Working Plan which is expected to be published on 19th April 2025.

The PT Road Circulation meeting started with the group being provided with a state of play on the Regulation on non-road mobile machinery (NRMM) circulating on public roads, which was published in the EU Official Journal on 08.01.2025. This was followed by a discussion on the Fka-TRL Study which was published in November and carefully analysed by CECE. According to the Regulation, the Commission shall adopt a delegated act as referred to technical requirements before 29th January 2027. In this context, CECE thoroughly analysed in a previous all-day meeting the conclusions presented by the consultant fka-TRL on the study and prepared a preliminary analysis, already engaging proactively with other sister associations and the institutions. Finally, the group discussed the 56th amendment to the StVZO which came into force last November in Germany. In addition to Germany, the group also discussed the Netherlands' current fast-track procedure for registration of mobile machinery and the UK's ongoing evaluation of the application of NRMM Type-Approval Regulation 2025/14 also in their territory.

The PT Noise group met to discuss the revision of Annex III of the Outdoor Noise Directive, which has now been published and will apply from 22nd of May 2025. The group was also informed of the publication last November of Directive (EU) 2024/2839 on Reporting Obligations, which removed certain reporting requirements, such as the obligation for manufacturers to send a copy of the declaration of conformity to EU member states and upload information to the EC’s noise database. Additionally, the PTN thoroughly discussed its contribution to the upcoming discussions at the next Noise Expert Group meeting on policy options for possible future revision of the OND. Finally, the PT also held a Brainstorming session on electric power of a motor and testing of electric-driven products.

Regarding PT Data, the group started by discussing the revised version of the Commission’s FAQ Document on the Data Act which proved to be in line with the industry’s interpretation of the key provisions of the Regulation. Members were also reported on the latest institutional developments in relation to the implementation of the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and discussed the outcomes of the first meeting of the CRA Expert Group. An update on the was also discussed with a strong focus on the Commission’s guidelines concerning the AI system definition.

During a productive exchange aimed at navigating the evolving landscape of machinery regulation and standardisation, the PT Machinery meeting covered key outcomes from the latest Coordination Group and broadly discussed the upcoming works on the editorial group and subgroups concerning the Machinery Regulation Guide to Application, where CECE has an interest in keeping an active role. The group also discussed which interventions and points to be raised during the next April Machinery Expert Group. Furthermore, the group discussed the ongoing drafting of the RED Guide and the possible CECE contributions. Finally, the PT took some time to discuss the Evaluation Process on the Pressure Equipment and Simple Pressure Vessels Directives, more specifically Guideline C-13.

The Technical Week ended with the Technical Commission (TC) meeting, where Francesco Guerzoni (Orgalim Senior Advisor) was invited to give a presentation on the Data Act Implementation Guidance project. This presentation focused primarily on the key elements of the Orgalim’s Guide on the Data Act Implementation, which was developed in cooperation with CECE Secretariat and CECE experts from PT Data and DTF workgroups. The guide is designed to support manufacturers of connected products in ensuring compliance and seizing the opportunities emerging from the Data Act implementation.

Additionally, TC members were reported on the sector-specific session organised by the EU Delegation to Türkiye with the participation on the Turkish Trade Ministry. The event, which CECE was invited to attend  focused on NRMM and Turkish legislation on import controls. The Technical Commission was informed about the ongoing dialogue with the Turkish Trade Ministry, aimed at obtaining clarifications on the persistent issues faced by CECE member companies when exporting machinery products to Türkiye.

The March TC quarterly meeting concluded with an update on the UK’s post-Brexit approach to Decarbonisation and Product-related legislation. The session covered the  Decarbonisation options for NRMM in UK, NRMM Road Circulation, as well as latest developments on the CE marking continued recognition. The Brexit session also included updates on the UK Persistent Organic Pollutants Regulation, as well as UK Restriction of Hazardous Substances Regulations.

The next Technical Week will take place in Brussels from the 17th to 19th of June.