The harmonised machinery standards September 2026 update adds references covering industrial robots, guard interlocking, safeguard positioning and functional safety. These changes are already included in the Safety Software harmonised standards database. You do not need to track and compare successive European Commission lists yourself. We keep the software data current.
The European Commission list dated 7 September 2026 contains 69 entries associated with the publication of Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/2015. That does not mean 69 completely new standards. The update also covers new editions, amendments and corrigenda to existing documents.
For machinery manufacturers, integrators and risk assessment specialists, two issues matter most: new references used when designing safeguards, and the dates on which existing references cease to have legal effect. Keep those questions separate.
Key new references to standards
The entries most relevant to risk assessment and the selection of protective measures include:
| Reference added to the list | Scope |
|---|---|
| EN ISO 13855:2024 | Positioning of technical protective measures with respect to the approach of the human body. |
| EN ISO 14119:2025 together with A11:2026 | Design and selection of interlocking devices associated with guards. |
| EN IEC 62061:2021 together with A1:2024 | Functional safety of safety-related control systems. |
| EN ISO 10218-1:2025 | Safety requirements for industrial robots. |
| EN ISO 10218-2:2025 | Safety requirements for industrial robot applications and robot cells. |
The table shows changes to references in the harmonised standards list. It is not a detailed comparison of the technical requirements in each edition. Publication of a reference is also not the same as publication of the standard itself.
For EN ISO 14119 and EN IEC 62061, note the specified amendments: A11:2026 and A1:2024 respectively. The new entries cover the base standards together with those documents, not the base designations alone.
We explain the practical impact through safety light curtain distance calculations under ISO 13855. For safety functions, see ISO 13849 vs IEC 62061 — why is PL more common than SIL in machinery?
Were the previous editions withdrawn immediately?
No. Adding a new edition does not automatically withdraw the previous reference on the same day. Earlier editions of EN ISO 13855, EN ISO 14119 and both parts of EN ISO 10218 were not identified as ceasing to have legal effect on 7 September 2026. Publication is not withdrawal.
The update does, however, replace two earlier entries with references incorporating corrigenda:
| Standard | Corrigendum included in the new entry |
|---|---|
| EN 13155:2020+A1:2025 — non-fixed load lifting attachments | EN 13155:2020+A1:2025/AC:2026 |
| EN 14439:2025 — tower cranes | EN 14439:2025/AC:2026 |
The earlier entries for these standards ceased to have legal effect on 7 September 2026. This is not removal without a successor: the new references incorporate the relevant corrigenda.
Does ISO 12100 “expire” on 20 January 2027?
No. That is not what the date in the current list means. The European Commission explains that 20 January 2027 marks the end of the legal effect of references under Directive 2006/42/EC, which will then be repealed. It is not the technical withdrawal of a standard or the expiry of its methodology. This also applies to ISO 12100:2010.
The entry does not mean that the established risk assessment methodology must be abandoned in January. The Commission is preparing a separate harmonised standards list under Regulation (EU) 2023/1230. According to its official announcement, the first list should be published before the end of 2026 and should cover the large majority of standards currently referenced. Any gaps against new or amended essential requirements are expected to be identified.
Referencing the current edition under the Regulation and replacing it with a new edition are two different actions. Do not assume that every existing reference will be harmonised again; the content of the new decision will be decisive. We examine this relationship further in our article on the essential requirements for machinery under Regulation (EU) 2023/1230.
What does the update mean for current projects?
Use the new references as a prompt to review the standards selected for each project and determine whether differences between editions affect the design. Simply changing the publication year in a report is not an engineering review.
Connect the review to real decisions: selection of an interlocking device, positioning of a light curtain, robot cell design or verification of safety functions. An up-to-date list and a compliant technical solution are not the same thing. The database establishes the correct starting point; engineers must still decide whether a standard applies and whether its requirements have been met. See our guidance on selecting technical protective measures for machinery.
For projects that may run into 2027, account for Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 in design decisions now. Publication of the new list should trigger verification of references, not mark the start of requirements analysis for an already completed machine.
You handle risk assessment. We keep the database current.
The Safety Software harmonised standards database already includes the September changes. You do not need to download successive Commission lists, compare them row by row or maintain a separate register of current references. We monitor publications and update the software data.
That leaves you free to identify hazards, perform risk assessment, select protective measures and document technical decisions. The database does not replace access to the full standards or their correct application. It removes the additional work of tracking harmonisation lists.
See how machinery risk assessment in Safety Software runs from defining machinery limits through to documenting risk-reduction measures.
Source: European Commission — Machinery (MD): harmonised standards publications and the current downloadable list. The list dated 7 September 2026 appears under “Summary list of titles and references of harmonised standards”. The same page provides the implementing decisions and the Commission’s explanation of the transition to Regulation (EU) 2023/1230.