Driving technical and legislative progress: Highlights from CECE’s June 2025 Technical Week

• CECE Technical Week, held from June 17-19, featured discussions on Low Emission Zones and Zero Emission Zones, with updates on regulatory changes in France and Spain.

• PT 3R meeting focused on amendments to the Battery Regulation, REACH regulation revisions, and updates on the PFAS restriction proposal and Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation.

• PT Road Circulation reviewed the Industry Task Force's analysis of the fka-TRL study on technical requirements for non-road mobile machinery.

• PT Data discussed EU data policy developments, including the Digital Omnibus Simplification Package, Data Act, Cyber Resilience Act, and AI Act implications for high-risk machinery.

• PT Machinery covered substantial modifications to machinery, the Machinery Regulation Guide to Application, and the Omnibus IV initiative's impact on the construction equipment industry.

• The Technical Commission meeting included a presentation on Orgalim’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism advocacy and updates on CECE’s market surveillance work and the UK’s post-Brexit 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 June 17-19.

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The Technical Week kicked off with the meeting of PT Engine Emissions & Alternative Fuels where the group held in-depth discussions on the growing relevance of Low Emission Zones (LEZ) across Europe, with a particular focus on the emerging trend of Zero Emission Zones. Members exchanged insights on how these developments may impact the construction equipment sector and explored potential areas for CECE engagement. As part of the regular LEZ monitoring, updates were shared on recent regulatory changes in France and Spain. The meeting also addressed several global regulatory topics, including the latest developments under UNECE Regulation R96.05 related to hydrogen type-approvals, as well as updates on EU Stage V implementation. Key points included the status of hydrogen-powered engine approvals and the ongoing EC work on In-Service Monitoring.

At the PT 3R meeting held in June, the exchange of views mainly focused on the recent amendments to the Battery Regulation, proposed by the European Commission as part of the Fourth Simplification Package (Omnibus IV). Specifically, the group aligned on a common advocacy strategy regarding battery due diligence policies and agreed on the position to take on the remaining challenges. Additionally, significant attention was devoted to the upcoming revision of the REACH regulation and CECE key priorities for the dossier. Following CECE participation in the RAC and SEAC meetings in June, PT 3R members were also reported on the state of play of the PFAS restriction proposal under REACH, including an update on the ECHA sector-by-sector evaluation currently underway. The meeting concluded with an overview of the latest developments on the implementation of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). On the Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Regulation, PT3R experts were informed of a notable development in the UK: differently from the approach taken by the European Union, the UK government has now decided to remove the prohibitions on Dechlorane Plus and UV-328. 

During this session, the PT Road Circulation received a detailed and comprehensive overview of the work currently being carried out by the Industry Task Force (ITF). The focus was on the ITF’s analysis of the fka-TRL study concerning technical requirements for non-road mobile machinery (NRMM) intended to circulate on public roads. CECE’s engagement in this process is aimed at contributing constructive and technically sound input to the study, with the objective of ensuring that the future delegated acts under Article 16 of the NRMM Regulation are informed by the practical expertise of machinery manufacturers. 

Regarding PT Data, the group was updated on recent developments in EU data policy following the launch of the European Commission’s public consultation on the future European Data Union Strategy. Experts were also informed about the upcoming Digital Omnibus Simplification Package, expected to be published in Autumn this year, which aims to streamline the existing regulatory framework across data, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence. In anticipation of these changes, the CECE Secretariat gathered members’ feedback on the implementation of the key digital files, namely Data Act and Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), with a view to formulating a common position on the industry’s main concerns. With respect to the CRA, discussions primarily revolved around its interplay with the Machinery Regulation and the ongoing standardisation work. On the AI Act, PT Data agreed that CECE will contribute input to the targeted stakeholder consultation on high-risk AI systems in light of the potential implications for the classification of high-risk machinery.  

The PT Machinery group had comprehensive discussion on the evolving interpretation of substantial modifications to machinery, with members exchanging views on how best to support clarity and consistency across the industry. The meeting also covered key outcomes from the latest Coordination Group and broadly discussed the upcoming works of the editorial group and subgroups concerning the Machinery Regulation Guide to Application, where CECE will maintain an active and constructive role. Members were updated on the ongoing drafting of the RED Guide, with a new version expected before the summer break, with CECE continuing monitoring the developments and explore opportunities for contribution. Finally, the PT held an in-depth discussion on the recent Omnibus IV initiative, aiming to better understand its potential impact on the construction equipment industry. CECE will be actively involved in the advocacy activities with both the European Parliament and the Council, ensuring the sector’s perspective is well represented throughout the legislative process.

The Technical Week concluded with the meeting of the Technical Commission (TC), which featured a presentation by Lorenzo Livraghi, Senior Adviser at Orgalim. The guest speaker provided an overview of Orgalim’s engagement on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), starting with the current legislative landscape and moving into the details of the Orgalim’s advocacy strategy on the file.

In addition, TC members received an update on CECE’s ongoing work on market surveillance, with a focus on the development of the CECE brochures designed to serve as brief guides for identifying non-compliant construction machinery.

The June quarterly TC meeting concluded with a session on the UK’s post-Brexit approach to product-related legislation. The briefing included the UK government’s plans to align the Noise Emissions framework with the recent amendments to Annex III of the EU Outdoor Noise Directive, an update on UK POPs, and the latest developments concerning UK Designated Standards.

The next Technical Week will take place in Brussels from 29th September to 2nd October.