The role of a Notified Body is to assess if a product is technically safe and compliant, correctly documented, and (in some cases) manufactured under the right conditions. In a way, the Notified Body act as a gatekeeper to the EU market – for more ‘high-risk’ and ‘sensitive’ products that cannot be ‘self-certified’.

That said, Notified Bodies are not government organizations. Instead, companies like Intertek and TUV are appointed to act as Notified Bodies for certain product categories.

In this guide, we explain what importers, exporters, and manufacturers must know about Notified Bodies and how they operate. Continue reading Notified Bodies in the European Union: A Complete Guide

Product traceability requirements exist to ensure that products can be traced to a certain importer or manufacturer, production facility, SKU, and even production run. The latter is particularly important as it enables market surveillance authorities (and sellers) to identify and trace unsafe and non-compliant products – and thereby limiting product recalls to faulty batches.

Product traceability labeling is mandatory for a wide range of products, such as electronics, kitchen products, toys, and much more. Still, product traceability is often overlooked by importers and manufacturers.

Keep reading, and learn what importers and manufacturers must learn about different types of product traceability requirements in the European Union. Continue reading Product Traceability Requirements in the European Union: An Overview

EU Importers are responsible to ensure that their wood packaging materials like pallets, skids, containers, cases, and dunnages, and other plant products, are not infested with pests or parasites that could cause ecological damage to the local environment

In this article, we introduce EU regulations and international pest control standards, such as ISPM 15, for wooden products, such as wood packaging materials. Continue reading Fumigation Regulations in the European Union: An Overview

The Machinery Directive applies to machines manufactured or imported to the European Union. More specifically, it defines machinery as assemblies of movable parts. As such, it applies to everything from treadmills to dishwashers.

Keep reading, and learn what European importers must know about safety standards, CE marking, documentation, and lab testing requirements related to the Machinery Directive. Continue reading Machinery Directive: An Essential Guide for EU Importers