European Parliament amended a directive of a new approach, fundamental for machines - machinery directive 98/37/EC. New directive 2006/42/EC shall enter into force in EU Member States from 29th December 2009. The new directive has been already implemented into a Polish law by a regulation of Minister of Economy. The amendment involves essential changes - legal, concerning a scope of application, as well as basic safety requirements and procedures for assessing the conformity of machinery. In the publication there are presented fundamental principles of the new directive and results of the most important changes analysis, considering the estimation of safety and ergonomics of agricultural machines. Regarding the above mentioned fact and the experience of 5 years' binding in Poland of the current directive version, the attempt of defining a new approach to system of conformity of agricultural machines was undertook.