Describes the country's standards landscape, identifies the national standards and accreditation bodies, and lists the main national testing organization(s) and conformity assessment bodies.

Overview

Products tested and certified in the United States to U.S. regulations and standards will probably need to be retested and re-certified to EU requirements as a result of the EU’s different approach to the protection of the health and safety of consumers and the environment. Where products are not regulated by specific EU technical legislation, they are always subject to the EU’s General Product Safety Directive as well as to possible additional national requirements.
For further information on EU regulations pertaining to standards, please refer to Doing Business in the European Union: 2018 Country Commercial Guide for U.S. Companies at www.export.gov/ccg/.
 

Agricultural Standards

The establishment of harmonized EU rules and standards in the food sector has been ongoing for several decades, and in January 2002 the EU publicized a general food law establishing the general principles of EU food law. This Regulation introduced mandatory traceability throughout the feed and food chain as of January 1, 2005. For specific information on agricultural standards, please refer to the Foreign Agricultural Service’s.
There are also export guides on import regulations and standards available on the Foreign Agricultural Service’s website.
 

Standards

EU standards setting is a process based on consensus initiated by industry or mandated by the European Commission and carried out by independent standards bodies, acting at the national, European or international level. There is strong encouragement for non-governmental organizations, such as environmental and consumer groups, to actively participate in European standardization.
For further information on EU regulations pertaining to standards, please refer to Doing Business in the European Union: 2018 Country Commercial Guide for U.S. Companies at www.export.gov/ccg/.
 

Testing, Inspection and Certification

Conformity Assessment is a mandatory step for the manufacturer in the process of complying with specific EU harmonized legislation. The purpose of conformity assessment is to ensure consistency of compliance during all stages, from design to production, to facilitate acceptance of the final product. EU product legislation gives manufacturers some choice regarding conformity assessment, depending on the level of risk involved in the use of their product. These range from self-certification, type examination and production quality control system, to full quality assurance system.
For further information on EU testing, inspection and certification, please refer to Doing Business in the European Union: 2018 Country Commercial Guide for U.S. Companies at www.export.gov/ccg/.

Publication of Technical Regulations

The Official Journal of the EU is the official publication of the European Union. It is published daily on the internet and consists of two series covering adopted legislation as well as case law, studies by committees. It also lists the standards reference numbers linked to legislation. National technical regulations are published on the Commission’s website to allow other countries and interested parties to comment.National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Notify U.S. Service

Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) are required under the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement) to notify to the WTO proposed technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures that could affect trade. Notify U.S. (www.nist.gov/notifyus) is a free, web-based e-mail registration service that captures and makes available for review and comment key information on draft regulations and conformity assessment procedures. Users receive customized e-mail alerts when new notifications are added by selected country(ies) and industry sector(s) of interest, and can also request full texts of regulations.  This service and its associated web site are managed and operated by the USA WTO TBT Inquiry Point housed within the National Institute of Standards and Technology, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
 

Contact Information

Commercial Service Prague
Zdenek Svoboda, Commercial Assistant
Zdenek.Svoboda@trade.gov
Tel: +420 257 022 323
U.S. Mission to the EU

Marianne Drain, Standards Attaché
Marianne.Drain@trade.gov
Tel: +32 2 811 5034

Liliana Popescu, Commercial Specialist
Liliana.Popescu@trade.gov
Tel: +32 2 811 5001
National Institute of Standards and Technology

Gordon Gillerman Standards Coordination Office
100 Bureau Dr.
Mail Stop 2100
Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899
Tel: (301) 975-4000
Please refer to Doing Business in the European Union: 2018 Country Commercial Guide for U.S. Companies at www.export.gov/ccg/ for a list of EU standards contacts.

 

Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.