§3.8 End-user

— The end user is any natural or legal person residing or established in the Union, to whom a product has been made available either as a consumer outside of any trade, business, craft or profession or as a professional end user in the course of its industrial or professional activities. — Many products covered by Union product harmonisation legislation are used at work and thus also subject to Union safety at work legislation. The end user is any natural or legal person residing or established in the Union, to whom a product has been made available either as a consumer outside of any trade, business, craft or profession or as a professional end user in the course of its industrial or professional activities (174). Union harmonisation legislation does not create obligations for the end-users of the products in their scope (175). This is the case even when there are no responsible economic operators present within the EU (for example, in the context of products sold online and for which an economic operator under Article 4 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 is not required. (176). The term thus covers both professional users and consumers. The concept of ‘end use’ by a professional or a consumer is intrinsically related to the concept of ‘intended use’ (177). Many products covered by Union harmonisation legislation are used at work. According to legislation based on Article 153 TFEU, employers have obligations as regards the use of work equipment by workers at the workplace. An employer is considered to be any natural or legal person who has an employment relationship with a worker (that is any person employed by an employer), and has responsibility for the undertaking or establishment. According to the Directive concerning the minimum safety and health requirements for the use of work equipment by workers at work (2009/104/EC), the employer must take all measures necessary to ensure that the work equipment (for example machinery and apparatus) made available to the workers is suitable for the work carried out, and may be used by workers without impairment to their safety or health. The employer may only obtain or use work equipment that complies with the provisions of the applicable legislation at the time of its first use, or, if no other legislation is applicable or is only partially applicable, the minimum requirements laid down in Annex I to Directive 2009/104/EC. The employer must also take the necessary measures to ensure that work equipment is kept at such a level. Further, the employer has an obligation to provide information and training for workers as regards the use of work equipment. According to the Directive concerning the minimum health and safety requirements for the use of personal protective equipment by workers at the workplace (89/656/EEC), such equipment must comply with the relevant Union provisions on design and manufacture with respect to safety and health (that is the Union harmonisation act relating to personal protective equipment). Further, the equipment must be appropriate for the risk involved, correspond to existing conditions at the workplace, take into account ergonomic requirements and the worker’s state of health, fit the wearer correctly, and be compatible where more than one pieces of equipment must be used simultaneously. The employer is required, before choosing the personal protective equipment, to assess that it satisfies the requirements. According to the Directive on the minimum safety and health requirements for work with display screen equipment (90/270/EEC), employers are obliged to perform an analysis of workstations in order to evaluate the safety and health conditions, particularly regarding possible risks to eyesight, physical problems and problems of mental stress. The Directive also lays down the minimum requirements for the display screen and other equipment. According to the Directive on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers at work (89/391/EEC), workers have a general responsibility to take care, as far as possible, of their own safety and health and that of other persons affected by their acts at work. In accordance with the training and the instructions given by their employer they must, for instance, make correct use of machinery, apparatus, and other means of production, and the personal protective equipment. Directives 89/391/EEC, 2009/104/EC, 89/656/EEC and 90/270/EEC lay down minimum requirements. Therefore, Member States are allowed to adopt or retain more stringent provisions, as long as they are compatible with the TFEU. The provisions of Union harmonisation legislation must be respected and, thus, additional national provisions may neither request a modification of a product within the scope of a Union harmonisation act, nor influence the conditions of the making available on the market of such products.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-09-07