Article 14 of the Machinery Regulation 2023/1230: what importers must verify before placing a machine from outside the EU on the market
Direct answer: Article 14 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 requires the importer to verify, before placing on the market a machine originating from a third country, that the manufacturer has carried out the appropriate conformity assessment procedure, that the technical documentation required by Annex IV is available, that the machine bears the CE marking and is accompanied by the EU declaration of conformity and the instructions for use, and that the manufacturer has met the identification requirements of Article 9(7). The importer must also indicate their own name and address on the machine and ensure that storage and transport conditions do not jeopardise its conformity.
The importer is the natural or legal person established in the European Union who places on the European market a machine originating from a third country. Their role is, in essence, that of a control gate: they do not manufacture or design the machine, but they are responsible for ensuring that what enters the European market complies with Regulation 2023/1230 before it reaches the end user. This obligation is additional to, not a substitute for, those borne by the manufacturer under Article 9 and, where applicable, by its authorised representative under Article 13, both analysed in other articles of this series.
What must the importer verify before placing the machine on the market?
Prior verification obligation (Art. 14(2)): before placing a machine on the market, the importer must ensure that the manufacturer has carried out the appropriate conformity assessment procedure, has drawn up the technical documentation, the machine bears the CE marking and is accompanied by the EU declaration of conformity and the instructions, and that the manufacturer has met the identification requirements of Article 9(7).
This verification does not require the importer to repeat the manufacturer's technical tests or to redraft the documentation, but it does require an active and diligent documentary check. The importer cannot simply rely blindly on the non-EU supplier: they must check that the CE marking, the EU declaration of conformity and the instructions for use exist and are consistent before placing the machine on the European market.
What does the importer do if it suspects the machine is not compliant?
Article 14(3) is clear: if the importer considers or has reason to believe that a machine is not in conformity with the applicable essential health and safety requirements, it must not place it on the market until it has been brought into conformity. And if the machine presents a risk, the importer must inform the manufacturer and the market surveillance authorities.
- Conformity assessment procedure carried out by the manufacturer under the relevant Art. 25 for the machine category.
- Technical documentation drawn up in accordance with Annex IV and available to the authorities.
- CE marking visible, legible and indelible, affixed to the machine.
- EU declaration of conformity accompanying the machine.
- Instructions for use in the language or languages of the Member State where it will be placed on the market.
- Identification of the manufacturer — name, registered trade name or trademark and postal address — under Art. 9(7).
What information must the importer add to the machine?
Article 14(4) requires the importer to indicate on the machine its name, its registered trade name or registered trademark, and the postal address at which it can be contacted, or — where the size or nature of the product does not permit it — to provide that information on the packaging or in a document accompanying the machine. This obligation runs parallel to the one Article 9(7) imposes on the manufacturer, and both identifications must coexist on the machine placed on the market.
| Obligation (Art. 14) | Paragraph | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Verify conformity assessment, documentation, CE marking and EU declaration | 14.2 | Before placing on the market |
| Do not place on the market if there is well-founded suspicion of non-conformity | 14.3 | Before placing on the market |
| Identification of the importer on the machine | 14.4 | Before placing on the market |
| Ensure storage and transport conditions | 14.5 | While the machine is under its responsibility |
| Keep a copy of the EU declaration and documentation available | 14.7 | 10 years from placing on the market |
| Act after detecting a post-market risk | 14.8 | Immediately |
What storage and transport conditions does Article 14 require?
Article 14(5) requires the importer to ensure that, while a machine is under its responsibility, storage or transport conditions do not jeopardise its conformity with the applicable essential health and safety requirements. It is an obligation of result covering the period between the machine's arrival at European customs and its actual delivery to the distributor or end user.
Believing it is enough to check the CE marking "at a glance" to comply with Art. 14(2). The rule also requires verifying that genuine technical documentation drawn up in accordance with Annex IV actually exists, and that the conformity assessment procedure corresponds to the machine's risk category — not merely that there is a printed CE logo, which on its own proves nothing if it is not backed by consistent documentation.
What must the importer do if it detects a risk after placing the machine on the market?
Article 14(8) requires immediate action: if the importer considers or has reason to believe that a machine it has placed on the market is not in conformity, it must immediately take the necessary corrective measures to bring it into conformity, withdraw it or recall it, as appropriate. Where the machine presents a risk, it must immediately inform the manufacturer and the market surveillance authorities of the Member States in which it made the machine available, detailing the non-compliance and the measures taken.
Verify the documentation before importing
CE marking, EU declaration, instructions for use and manufacturer identification.
Add the importer's own identification
Name, registered trademark and postal address on the machine, packaging or an accompanying document.
Store the machine under appropriate conditions
During storage and transport under its responsibility, without jeopardising its conformity.
Keep the documentation and act on any incident
Ten years available to the authorities, and immediate corrective measures if a problem arises.
IgeraIndustria in action: checking a file before customs clearance
A Spanish importer of laser-cutting machinery manufactured in Turkey needed to confirm, before the container cleared customs, whether the documentation sent by the Turkish manufacturer covered every point of Article 14(2), since on a previous shipment the EU declaration of conformity did not match the exact model received.
How IgeraIndustria solves it
Question:
"What exactly do we need to verify before placing on the market a laser-cutting machine imported from Turkey under Art. 14(2)?"
IgeraIndustria answers:
"Under Art. 14(2), you must confirm that the manufacturer carried out the appropriate conformity assessment procedure, that technical documentation exists in accordance with Annex IV, that the machine bears CE marking, that the EU declaration of conformity corresponds exactly to the model and serial number received, and that the instructions for use are available in the required language. If the EU declaration does not match the model, you must not place the machine on the market until this is resolved, under Art. 14(3)."
Does your import file comply with Article 14 before clearance?
IgeraIndustria verifies in seconds whether the non-EU manufacturer's documentation is complete and consistent.
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Summary: Article 14 and importer obligations
- Before placing on the market, the importer must verify the conformity assessment, technical documentation, CE marking, EU declaration and instructions.
- If it suspects the machine is not compliant, it cannot place it on the market until the problem is resolved (Art. 14.3).
- It must add its own name and address on the machine, alongside the manufacturer's details.
- It is responsible for ensuring storage and transport conditions do not jeopardise conformity while the machine is under its responsibility.
- It must keep documentation for ten years and act immediately if it detects a risk after placing the machine on the market.
Frequently asked questions about Article 14
Does the importer become a manufacturer if it modifies the machine?
Regulation 2023/1230 provides, in its Article 15, that whoever substantially modifies a machine or places it on the market under its own name or trademark assumes the obligations of the manufacturer. This is not a rule under Article 14, but it is a direct consequence every importer should know before intervening on the imported machine.
Can the importer rely solely on the word of the non-EU manufacturer?
No. Article 14(2) requires an active check by the importer, not a simple declaration of trust. It must physically verify the existence and consistency of the CE marking, the EU declaration of conformity and the technical documentation before placing the machine on the market in the European Union.
What happens if the machine does not come with the instructions in the correct language?
Article 14(2) expressly includes verifying that the machine is accompanied by the instructions, and these must be provided in the official language or languages of the Member State where it is placed on the market. If they are missing or in the wrong language, the importer must not place the machine on the market until this is corrected.
Does the importer have the same document-retention period as the manufacturer?
Yes. Article 14(7) requires the importer to keep a copy of the EU declaration of conformity available to the market surveillance authorities for ten years from the machine's placing on the market, and to ensure that the technical documentation can be provided to those authorities on request.
What is the difference between the obligations of the importer and those of the distributor?
The importer brings the machine into the Union market for the first time from a third country, and for that reason bears reinforced verification obligations, partly comparable to those of the manufacturer. The distributor, regulated in a different article of the Regulation, places on the market machines already introduced into the EU, and its main obligation is to check the presence of CE marking and documentation, without the same responsibility for verifying origin.
How does IgeraIndustria help importers comply with Article 14?
IgeraIndustria lets you check the complete Article 14 checklist in seconds and compare it against the actual documentation received from the non-EU manufacturer, flagging what is missing or inconsistent before the machine reaches customs or the end customer.
Do not place any imported machine on the market without this check
IgeraIndustria checks every import file against Article 14 of the Machinery Regulation.
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Last updated: July 2026 | Author: Jordi Bassols, Industrial Safety Engineer, COEIC Registered | Sources: Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2023 on machinery (OJ L 165, 29.6.2023), Article 14, in conjunction with Articles 9 and 25. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or engineering advice. | IgeraIndustria — free 14-day trial. EUR-Lex — Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or engineering advice. For the conformity assessment of your machinery, consult a notified body or a qualified industrial safety engineer.