Useful Information
What is certification?
Certification is a procedure by which an independent third party — a certification body — provides written assurance that a product, process or service conforms to specified requirements. The result of this procedure is a certificate of conformity: a formal document confirming that the product has been assessed and found compliant.
Certification differs from a manufacturer's own declaration in one essential way: it is impartial. The certification body has no commercial interest in the product's success and bases its decision exclusively on objective evidence — laboratory test results, technical documentation and, where applicable, production audits.
Mandatory and voluntary certification
For certain product groups — including many types of electrical and radio equipment — certification is mandatory before the product may be placed on the market. In other cases, manufacturers pursue voluntary certification to strengthen consumer confidence, meet the requirements of trading partners or gain a competitive edge.
What a certificate gives you
A certificate of conformity simplifies import and export procedures, serves as objective proof of compliance during state inspections, protects consumers from substandard products, and signals to the market that quality has been independently verified.
Who can issue certificates
Certificates are issued by conformity assessment bodies accredited under the national accreditation system. Accreditation confirms that the body is competent, impartial and operates according to internationally recognized rules.