1. INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION Mr Gabriel Barta IEC Head of technical coordination Secretary, IEC Conformity Assessment Board (CAB) The IEC conformity assessment Systems ’ contribution to development and trade

2. 2 Definitions  Conformity Assessment (CA)  Checking that a product conforms to a standard  First-party CA  Carried out by manufacturer, supplier  Second-party CA  Carried out by customer  Third-party CA  Carried out by independent organization  Neither of the first two interested parties  Certification  Third-party, formal CA, producing a certificate  Provides assurance that product is conformant

3. 3 CA: Basic ideas  Check to see if product adheres to standard: any method may be used  IEC CA is 3rd party = Certification  3 IEC Systems: IECEE, IECEx, IECQ  Do not carry out testing themselves  Organize test labs & certification bodies into a system for mutual recognition of certificates  In some instances, enable direct entry to the market  Both a type test scheme and full assessment with surveillance exist

4. 4 IEC organization structure IEC COUNCIL National Committees IECEE COUNCIL BOARD CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT BOARD Management of CA policy and Systems Management Advisory Committees EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (IEC Officers) Central Office (The Executive) Industry Sector Boards Technical Advisory Cttees Technical Committees STANDARDIZATION MGMT BOARD Management of International Consensus Standards Work IECEx IECQ MARKET STRATEGY BOARD

5. 5 IEC CA structure IECEx System for certification to standards for electrical equipment for explosive atmospheres IECQ Approval and certification system for electronic components CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT BOARD IECEE System for conformity testing and certification of electrotechnical equipment and components Policy Strategy Projects Working groups

6. 6 Principles  Openness  All may use the Schemes (like IEC Standards)  All who undertake to follow rules may become members  Transparent, democratic  All decisions are taken by members  All rules are written down, approved & published  Mutual recognition  Also called “reciprocal acceptance”  Peer assessment

7. 7 Principle: Openness  Use: requesting certification  Open to any manufacturer anywhere in the world  Non-IEC-member country is OK too  Membership: mutual recognition, co-decision  Open to any certification body  Open to any testing laboratory  Non-IEC-member country is OK too

8. 8 Principle: Mutual Recognition 1  Each member commits to:  Recognizing all the others’ certificates or test results  Publishing national differences  Declaring what equipment is covered  No member may require re-testing  Hence money is saved  Confidence and reliability are needed  Else no-one would recognize your tests  Else you wouldn’t be able to rely on the others’ tests – see Peer Assessment

9. 9 H A B C D E F G Principle: Mutual Recognition 2 Bilateral recognition H A B C D E F G IEC SCHEME Multilateral agreement n(n-1)/2 relations 1 260 assessments 630 agreements n relations 36 assessments 1 agreement Example N=36

10. 10 Principle: Peer Assessment  Assessments are essential  To demonstrate competence  To ensure quality  To create and keep mutual confidence  See Mutual Recognition 1  Carried out by peers  Other cert. bodies, other laboratories  Competitors, but they are in same situation  Similar experiences, training, competence$  Another assessment method is accreditation

11. 11 Why perform CA?  Safety  Governments want to protect the population  Consumers, workers, those in high risk areas  Performance  Buyers want to ensure quality  Users want fitness for the purpose  Interoperability  Other manufacturers want their products to work correctly with the one being assessed

12. 12 Safety and CA  Governments want to protect consumers  Case 1 – national mark exists:  Government can require that all imports must show proof of compliance with national mark.  Case 2 – national mark does not exist or may not be adequate (e.g. some industrializing countries):  Government can require that all imports must show proof of testing to specific standards, such as IEC International Standards.

13. 13 Goals of IEC CA  One test, one certification, one mark (where relevant)  Remove delays and costs of multiple testing and approval  Industry can get its products to market more quickly and with less expense  Reduce trade barriers caused by different certification criteria in various countries and help industry to open up new markets  Help to ensure a fair global trading system in accordance with WTO

14. 14 IECEE System CB Scheme Mutual recognition of test certificates CB FCS (Full Certification Scheme) Mutual recognition of conformity assessment certificates IECEE System www.iecee.org

15. 15 What it is  System for conformity testing and certification of electrotechnical equipment and components IECEE

16. 16 What it covers  IT and office equipment  Electronics, entertainment  Electrical equipment for medical use  Installation accessories and connection devices  Safety transformers and similar equipment  Lighting  Switches for appliances and automatic controls for electrical household appliances  Portable tools  Photovoltaics  Household and similar equipment  Measuring instruments  Low voltage, high power switching equipment  Installation protective equipment  Capacitors as components  Batteries  Cables and Cords. IECEE

17. 17 How it works 1  Manufacturer makes an electrical product and sends it for testing so it can be certified  A laboratory tests the product for conformity to IEC standards and issues a test certificate IECEE

18. 18 How it works 2  Manufacturer now wishes to sell the product in another country  Manufacturer sends the certificate to a test lab in the second country IECEE

19. 19 How it works 3  Second lab issues its certification mark without having to test the equipment  It recognizes the testing and assessment that has already been done  Manufacturer may now affix the national mark of conformity of the second country to the product and may export the product to that country IECEE

20. 20 On-line certificates  Immediate verification  Available anywhere there is access to the Internet www.iecee.org

21. 21 IECEx System Equipment Scheme Certification of Ex Equipment Services Scheme Certification of Ex Service Providers IECEx System www.iecex.com

22. 22 What it is  Worldwide system for certification to standards relating to equipment for use in explosive atmospheres IECEx

23. 23 What it covers  Automotive refuelling stations or petrol stations  Oil refineries, rigs and processing plants  Chemical processing plants  Printing industries, paper and textiles  Hospital operating theatres  Aircraft refuelling and hangars  Surface coating industries  Underground coal mines  Sewerage treatment plants  Gas pipelines and distribution centres  Grain handling and storage  Woodworking areas  Sugar refineries  Metal surface grinding, especially aluminium dusts and particles IECEx  Ex equipment: almost any electrical device

24. 24 Two main aspects  Certification for new equipment  Certification of service facilities, such as overhaul and repair

25. 25 New equipment: How it works 1 IECEx  Manufacturer makes an electrical product for use within a potentially explosive environment  Buyer wants proof that the product adheres to standards  Test report on product  Quality assessment report on manufacturer’s capability  These two result in certificate of conformity

26. 26 New equipment: How it works 2  Test report  An IECEx laboratory tests the product for conformity to IEC standards  It issues a test report  Quality audit of manufacturer  IECEx Certificate of Conformity  Issued by an IECEx certifier  On IECEx website with full public access IECEx

27. 27 Certificate of Conformity IECEx  Manufacturer may now sell direct to market in countries that accept the IECEx Certificate  No need for applications to any national body

28. 28 New equipment – Fast Track IECEx  Manufacturer sends the certificate of conformity and test report and/or quality assessment report to an IECEx certification body in the second country  Second body issues its certification without testing the equipment. It has full confidence in the testing and assessment that has already been done  Where separate National certification is still required, IECEx provides a “Fast-Track” process:

29. 29 Overhaul and repair  Ensure confidence that after repair and overhaul product continues to comply to certification requirements  Covers:  Repair  Overhaul  Rebuilt and refurbished products IECEx

30. 30 Online certificates  Complete certificate for public view and download  Search capabilities act as a “buyer’s guide of Ex products”  Available anywhere there is access to the Internet  www.iecex.com IECEx

31. 31 Advantages for manufacturers  Reduce manufacturing costs by eliminating the cost of multiple testing and certification  IEC Conformity Assessment Programmes open up new markets faster  By using today’s technology, enables access to new products for countries with smaller markets  Faster to market gives competitive edge

32. 32 Advantages for importing country  Widest range of acceptable products  Assured neutrality (no supplier countries favoured)  Assurance that the issuer has “adequate and enduring technical competence” (6.1.1 of World Trade Organization’s TBT Agreement)  Confidence in compliance of imported products  No dumping of poor-quality goods  No “hiding” behind false origins (built in one place but trans-shipped through another)  Safety ensured

33. 33 Further information  IECEE:  Pierre de Ruvo  Email: pro@iec.ch  www.iecee.org  IECEx:  Chris Agius  Email: chris.agius@iecex.com  www.iecex.com

34. INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION Thank you for your attention. Any questions?

35. INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION