General Introduction and Affected Products

The European Commission has published Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/546, which updates technical standards to ensure health and safety in key industrial sectors. Among the most important measures, the new regulation imposes stricter health and safety requirements for food dispensers and updates the rules for packaging machines, affecting both rigid containers and strapping systems.

This update, which modifies the 2023 roadmap, also impacts the manufacture of cranes, agricultural machinery and railway equipment, granting presumption of conformity only to those products that comply with the new harmonized standards. Manufacturers will have to adapt their processes to comply with these European guidelines that seek to eradicate technical deficiencies and improve operator protection throughout the common market.

This Decision came into force on March 13, 2026, the date of its official publication, marking the beginning of the validity of these new normative references for product certification in the European market.

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Detailed Analysis: Packaging Machines

The Decision introduces changes to ensure that packaging machines operate under the latest safety standards. The following references have been incorporated:

• New Standard EN 415-2:2025: This specific standard is established for the first time for the safety of packaging machines for preformed rigid containers.
• Revision of EN 415-8:2025: This standard regulates strapping machines. It replaces the previous version (EN 415-8:2008), which has been revised to improve protection levels.
• Transition period: To avoid disruptions in production, the Commission has postponed the withdrawal of the old standard (EN 415-8:2008). This gives strapping machine manufacturers additional time to adapt their designs and processes to the new requirements of the 2025 version.

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In-Depth Analysis: Food Processing Machinery

In the food sector, the decision is focused on raising operational safety and hygiene standards. The key point is:

• New Standard EN 15180:2025: This harmonized standard focuses exclusively on food dispensers.
• Safety and Hygiene Requirements: The standard establishes detailed guidelines that machines must comply with to ensure that the dosing process is not only safe for the operator, but also meets the necessary hygiene standards for contact with food products.
• Development Context: This standard was developed by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) under the mandate of the Commission (request M/396) to update the technical requirements compared to previous legislation.