The European co-operation for Accreditation (EA) has been recognised by the European Commission (EC) as the official European accreditation infrastructure. The recognition of EA follows the adoption of Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 by the European Parliament and the European Council, which establishes the legal framework for accreditation in the EU.
EA and the European Commission (EC) cooperate closely for the development and implementation of EU regulations that refer to accreditation and conformity assessment activities. The main communication channel for EA is the Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW).
The number of regulations being developed or published over the past years is a clear indication of the confidence placed in accreditation and the European Accreditation infrastructure. It also demonstrates how well cooperation has evolved over the years, EA having adapted its internal organization to contribute at the right time. Confidence also exists in the almost daily interaction between EA and the EC services. It has helped ensure that EA can give its expertise about the benefit of using accreditation at the right stage of legislation development, sufficiently in advance for a sound and applicable set of requirements to be used in the various fields.
Accreditation is a cornerstone of the EU Single Market because it ensures that products placed on the market comply with EU safety, health, and environmental requirements in a credible, consistent, and trustworthy way. By attesting that conformity assessment bodies – acting as notified bodies – are competent, impartial, and operate according to harmonised standards and EU legislation, accreditation guarantees the reliability of conformity assessment results on which regulators, businesses, and consumers rely.
Product examples
There are more than 30 EU product legislations that define the essential requirements to be met by products when placed on the EU market. This includes – among others: Machinery, Lifts, Construction products, Measuring instruments, Outdoor equipment, Recreational crafts, Toys and Electrical equipment.
Here are a few examples to illustrate how accreditation positively impacts your day-to-day life:
Machinery Regulation and Lifts Directive
The Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 applies on a mandatory basis as of 20 January 2027. From this date, the old Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC is repealed, and all CE marking and conformity assessment must follow the new Machinery Regulation’s rules.
The Machinery Regulation also has an impact on other product legislation, e.g., the Lifts Directive 2014/33/EU regarding digital/AI-related safety requirements.
The Machinery Regulation includes new elements, which are important when assessing the competence of Conformity Assessment Bodies (Notified Bodies), for instance:
- Provisions for machinery with safety functions that are AI-powered;
- Provisions for cyber-safety for compliance-relevant software data and safety control systems;
- Addresses the conformity assessment of machinery presenting a higher risk factor;
- Updates certain product category-specific provisions;
- Clarifies conditions under which the instructions for use and the declaration of conformity can be provided in a digital format.
There are already several Notified Bodies for the Machinery Regulation listed in NANDO.
Construction products
The Construction Products Regulation lays down harmonised rules for the marketing of construction products in the EU. It ensures the free movement of construction products within the single market. As a consequence, public authorities, consumers and professionals are able to compare the performance of construction products from different manufacturers in different Member States. The mandatory harmonised technical specifications provide a common technical language and on how to assess and communicate the performance of construction products, for instance on the reaction to fire, thermal conductivity or insulation properties.
From the Construction Products Regulation (EU) 305/2011 to the new Construction Products Regulation (EU) 2024/3110, a defined transition period applies. For products, CPR (EU) 2024/3110 will apply only once a new harmonised technical specification (HTS) or European Assessment Document (EAD)/European Technical Assessment (ETA) is published.
What is new is the declaration of performance and conformity. It must include the product’s environmental sustainability performance over its life cycle in respect of the predetermined environmental essential characteristics listed in Annex II, such as global warming potential (total, fossil, biogenic and land use, and land-use change).
This approach provides a level playing field as the assessment methods will apply to all construction products, including biobased materials.
All the products that are regulated under the CPR (EU) 2024/3110 will have a digital product passport (DPP) once it is made mandatory by a delegated act.
This information is meant to help consumers and professionals make informed decisions and stimulate behavioural change.
Ecodesign
The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) is part of the European Commission’s approach to more environmentally sustainable and circular products.
The ESPR aims to significantly improve the circularity, energy performance, and other environmental sustainability aspects of products placed on the EU market. A sustainable product is likely to display one or more of the following characteristics:
- Uses less energy and lasts longer
- Can be easily repaired, parts can be easily disassembled and put to further use
- Contains fewer substances of concern
- Can be easily recycled, and contains more recycled content
- Has a lower carbon and environmental footprint over its lifecycle
Notified Bodies shall evaluate that products meet the requirements set out in the ESPR.
NABs deliver accreditation to the Conformity Assessment Bodies, which ensures they can verify products’ compliance with sustainability, energy efficiency, and circular economy standards.
Motor vehicles
Before the Diesel emissions scandal revelations in September 2015, the European Commission had concluded that there was a need to prevent cases of motor vehicle non-compliance.
Therefore, the EC proposed a new regulation to make vehicle testing more independent and reliable, and to increase surveillance of cars already in circulation.
Accreditation of Technical Services was recognized as an alternative to the assessments performed by Type Approval Authorities (in accordance with Regulation (EC) 765/2008).
The European Commission released in May 2018 the Regulation (EU) 2018/858 on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components, and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
The objective is to offer a high level of safety, health, and environmental protection.