ENTR Lot 5:

Machine tools

The product study for machine tools was launched In January 2010. The study has been extended and is expected to be finalized in May 2012.

A draft voluntary agreement for machine tools, issued by CECIMO, was discussed in Consultation Forum in November 2009.

The three most important aspects identified by CECIMO are:

1. Comparability between tools is limited since they consists of a huge number of non-comparable modules and appear in several dimensions.
2. A functional unit of a machine tools cannot be defined in a comparable way (a machine tool must be seen in the perspective of the tool as a product system, with cooperation of different modules).
3. Machine tools fulfil tasks in other products, which have their own life cycle and related environmental impacts.

The relative and absolute improvements are suggested to be monitored by the open CECIMO task force and reported yearly to the Commission. More information can be found at the CECIMO web site.

eceee's views

eceee appreciates the initiative of the European Machine Tool Industries interest organisation CECIMO to propose a so-called self-regulatory initiative (SRI) well ahead of any results from the preparatory study. However, CECIMO’s proposals must be integrated with the process of the preparatory study to find solutions to many of the problems involved in regulating a group of products as complex as machine tools.

For more information, view our section about Voluntary Agreements.

Products & status