EC/Switzerland agreement: mutual recognition to conformity assesment MRA

The Council presented a consolidated version of the agreement on the mutual recognition in relation to conformity assessment between the Community and Switzerland, that also includes the final act and the signatures of all of the contracting parties. It should be recalled that this agreement provides for the reciprocal acceptance of tests, certification and approval of products by each party on the basis of the regulatory provisions of the other party or measures of the same party once these are judged to be equivalent. Products may from now on be certified by conformity assessment organisations recognised in the European Union and be placed on the Swiss market without having to undergo other certification procedures, and vice versa. The Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) thus reduces the costs and the time necessary to obtain the certification of products and will facilitate market access. The sectors covered by the agreement are machines, personal protection equipment, toys, medical instruments, gas systems and boilers, pressure recipients, telecommunications terminals, equipment and systems for use in explosive atmospheres, construction products, measuring instruments, motor vehicles, agricultural tractors and forestry engines, the monitoring of good laboratory practice in production and certification by lot. In the framework of this agreement, a committee will be established in order to ensure the proper implementation and management of the agreement.�