Lawnmowers, chainsaws and garden machinery

• Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 — Machinery
• Directive 2000/14/EC — outdoor noise emission
• Regulation (EU) 2016/1628 — non-road engine emissions
• Directive 2014/30/EU — EMC
• Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 — Batteries for cordless models

Who has to appoint one

Manufacturers outside the Union placing garden machinery on the EU market. Three regimes converge: machinery safety, outdoor noise emission with a guaranteed sound power level marked on the machine, and engine emissions for combustion models.

Thresholds and exemptions

None for machinery. The noise Directive lists the equipment types subject to marking and, for some, to noise limits. Engine emission rules apply by engine category and power band.

What must appear on the label

CE marking, manufacturer and EU representative details, designation, series, serial number and year of construction, and the guaranteed sound power level in dB in a separate marking. Engine identification and the type approval number for combustion engines. Battery markings for cordless models.

Marketplace fields

Marketplaces require the EU responsible person and, increasingly, the declaration of conformity for chainsaws and mowers. Robot mowers additionally raise safety issues with children and animals that have led to design-related recalls.

Documentation you must hold

EU declaration of conformity, technical file with the risk assessment, noise test report and the technical documentation required by the noise Directive, engine emission type approval documents, and battery and WEEE registrations for cordless machines.

Standards and testing

EN ISO 5395 for garden mowers, EN ISO 11681 for chainsaws, EN 50636 for electric mowers, noise measurement under the outdoor noise Directive, and engine testing under the non-road emission Regulation. Robot mowers are tested for obstacle detection and blade stop behaviour.

Language requirements

Instructions and safety warnings in the language of each member state where the machine is placed on the market, including the operator training information for chainsaws.

When it applies

Before placing on the market. Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 applies from 20 January 2027, replacing the 2006 Directive.

How long records are kept

Ten years for the technical documentation, plus the noise and emission records.

What happens if you do not comply

Withdrawal, recall and customs refusal. Chainsaws and mowers cause severe injuries, and non-conforming brake or blade-stop mechanisms lead to prosecutions as well as recalls in several member states.

Who enforces it

Market surveillance authorities, environmental authorities for noise and emissions, and customs.

Where the boundary lies

Cordless garden machinery carries four separate obligations at once: machinery conformity, noise marking, battery producer registration per country and WEEE registration per country. Robot mowers add the connected-product dimension and, from 2027, the Cyber Resilience Act where they are app-controlled.

Questions we are asked

Is the noise marking optional?

No. Equipment listed in the outdoor noise Directive must carry the guaranteed sound power level, and for some types must stay under a limit value.

Do we need engine type approval for a petrol mower?

Yes, the engine needs approval under Regulation 2016/1628 in the applicable category, and the documentation must accompany the machine.