Standards, technical specifications and product certification

Product standardisation

By standardising the quality and safety of products, companies gain consumer confidence.

The standards imposed through European Union legislation help protect the environment and human health. For example, there are standards that provide measurement methods to monitor and control air pollution. Food hygiene standards provide classification and testing methods for materials that come into contact with food.

Another advantage is an improved access to markets: standards facilitate entry on new markets by making products or services compatible and comparable.

Standards can also help improve the interoperability between products or services. For instance, standards advise on the size of the rail tracks to ensure the safety of trains.

Technical specifications of products

Requirements under national rules may differ among Member States, in particular as regards:

• size/dimensions
• weight
• composition
• labelling
• packaging
• testing

Product certification

Product certification means certification by a third-party certification body that a specifically identified product complies with the characteristics defined in a normative (reference) document and with the legal regulations on product safety. Product conformity certification services are provided based on certification contracts with a validity of 2 years.