The Machinery Directive Manual is a line-by-line review of Council Directive 98/37/EC, which integrates the original Machinery Directive (89/392/EEC) and its associated amendments. Comments come from the work of members of the "89/392 Committee". All committee members have taken part in the critical development stages of the directive (preparations, discussions at the Council, work in committees and sessions of the European Parliament, and at the Economic and Social Committee).

The manual is intended to answer the kind of questions, which users of the directive (manufacturers, their representatives, and machinery users) are likely to ask. Other parties concerned with the directive (Notified Bodies, labor inspectorates, insurance companies, etc.) may also require explanations for which the commentary should be useful. The manual is not legally binding. However, it remains a comprehensive and authoritative aid in the interpretation of the complex and at times ambiguous text of the Machinery Directive.