Products to be placed on the market in Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union for the first time are subject to the conformity assessment in accordance with the Technical Regulations of the Eurasian Economic Union in form of an EAC certification or EAC declaration. If the conformity check is successful, the products must be marked with the EAC conformity mark.
Purpose of the conformity mark
The conformity mark does not necessarily guarantee the full usability and safety of the product. Correct operation according to the manufacturer's instructions is still required.
It is only possible to affix the conformity mark on the body / packaging of a certain product if the proper tests have been successfully carried out by an independent, accredited testing and certification body.
The conformity mark gives the manufacturer the opportunity to increase sales, as the use of conformity marks increases the attractiveness of the products for the consumer and simplifies cross-border trade.
Some countries recognize the conformity marks of other countries. This means that products made in one country do not need to be certified in another. One example is the recognition of the conformity marks of Australia and New Zealand by the European Union on the basis of an international agreement.
Use of conformity marks
There are many advantages to implementing a specific standard, developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) or the International Electrical Commission (IEC), for example. But only a conformity assessment by an independent body guarantees the intended use of the standard and proves its validity.
Conformity marks play an important role in confirming that the properties of a product meet the target parameters in terms of safety, quality, raw material origin, reliability or environmental compatibility. Proper use is a prerequisite for this. Conformity marks can take different forms and be stored on different media. For example in the form of QR codes or a distributed ledger database. They help build consumer confidence by demonstrating that a product or service on the market meets certain requirements and that conformity has been demonstrated.
Changes in the international standard
The International Standard for a Uniform Approach to the Use of Conformity Marks has recently been updated. It concerns the standard ISO / IEC 17030: 2021 "Conformity Assessment - General Requirements for External Conformity Marks".
Developed in collaboration between ISO and IEC, the standard provides guidance on how to assign a variety of marks of conformity to ensure correct use and a consistent approach and comparability of results around the world. The standard specifies general requirements for external conformity marks, including the procedure for issuing and using conformity marks. The standard applies to conformity marks that have different shapes and are stored on different media.
