CETA Agreement and Conformity Assessment: Accreditation, a tool to enhance trade between the European Union and Canada

The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is designed to strengthen economic relations and business development between the European Union and Canada. It includes a chapter on technical barriers to trade that encourages cooperation in applying technical regulations and standards in order to avoid unnecessary obstacles to international trade, by positioning conformity assessment as a prerequisite to business on European and Canadian markets.

CETA includes a Protocol on the Mutual Acceptance of the Results of Conformity Assessment (the CA Protocol). This Protocol establishes mutual recognition of European and Canadian Accreditation Bodies and Conformity Assessment Bodies with the aim of accepting the results of each other’s conformity assessment certificates in such areas as electrical goods, electronic and radio equipments, toys, machinery and measuring equipment. This means that a Conformity Assessment Body in the EU can test EU products for export to Canada in accordance with Canadian rules and vice versa and results are mutually accepted.

To fulfill this mission, a Bilateral Cooperation Agreement (BCA) between the European co-operation for Accreditation (EA) and the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) was signed to establish the conditions and procedures for cooperation between EA and SCC for technical support of activities aimed at mutual recognition of National Accreditation Bodies (NAB) and accredited Conformity Assessment Bodies operating in the EU and Canada. This Agreement applies to the following categories of goods:

• Electrical and electronic equipment, including electrical installations and appliances, and related components;
• Radio and telecommunications terminal equipment;
• Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC);
• Toys;
• Construction products;
• Machinery, including parts, components, including safety components, interchangeable equipment, and assemblies of machines;
• Measuring instruments;
• Hot-water boilers, including related appliances;
• Equipment, machines, apparatus, devices, control components, protection systems, safety devices, controlling devices and regulating devices, and related instrumentation and prevention and detection systems for use in potentially explosive atmospheres (ATEX equipment);
• Equipment for use outdoors as it relates to noise emission in the environment; and
• Recreational craft, including their components.

The Delegation of the European Union in Canada and the Directorate-General for Trade, in collaboration with the Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, and the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI) of the European Commission organised a webinar called ‘How to make use of the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) Protocol on Conformity Assessment and whether to extend its scope.

The seminar was held on the 8th of September 2022, and was part of a series of events organised around the fifth anniversary of CETA’s provisional entry into force. The Agreement remains a core driver of the EU’s privileged and solid relationship with this close ally and like-minded partner. The current geopolitical context creates momentum for even closer cooperation between the EU and Canada.

To watch the entire webinar (presentation of Dr. Andreas Steinhorst (EA Executive Secretary) starting from 00:54:00, regarding the Cooperation between EA and SCC and the implementation of the CETA CA Protocol)