Regulations · April 2, 2026
What a conformity assessment scheme is and why there are several
How the scheme affects the set of documents, the testing and the time to get the document.
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8 min
Inspection control confirms that the certified products continue to conform to the requirements and that the production conditions have not changed.
How it works
The life cycle of a certificate for serial production
01IssueTesting of samples and analysis of production
02Validity periodProduction of goods, up to 5 years
03InspectionChecking of samples and production conditions
04DecisionConfirmation, suspension or termination
The cost of inspections is included in the budget in advance — these are regular expenses, not one-off ones.
What the body looks at
- Conformity of the products being made to the certified sample
- Preservation of the production process and of the material suppliers
- Operation of the quality control system at the production site
- Results of testing of the selected samples
- Presence and correctness of labelling
What most often lets you down
A change of component supplier without notifying the body. Formally the products are the same, in fact the materials have changed, and therefore so have the test results.
How to prepare
- Keep the technical documentation up to date
- Record changes in design and composition and report them to the body
- Keep records of incoming inspection of raw materials and acceptance of finished products
- Check the labelling on current batches
- Plan the budget and the timing of inspections in advance
What determines whether control will take place at all is covered in the article on schemes. How to select samples correctly is covered in a separate article.
What can result
Inspection control ends with a decision, and there are more than two options.
| Decision | What it means |
|---|---|
| Confirm validity | The certificate remains valid until the next check |
| Suspend | A period is given for eliminating the causes; products released earlier remain lawful |
| Terminate | The certificate ceases to be valid, a new document is needed |
| Reduce the scope | Some of the models are removed from the scope of the certificate |
The last option is not obvious and painful: the certificate is formally alive, but part of the range is no longer covered by it. This is usually discovered at acceptance by a counterparty who compares the list of models.
Evasion is equated to refusal
Not letting the experts in, not providing documents, not allocating samples — in consequences this is the same as failing the check. The validity of the certificate is suspended, and in the register this is visible to all your buyers.
What is looked at in production
The check is not based on a general impression but on specific points. Knowing this list removes half of the worry.
- Whether the process documentation under which the products are made is in force and whether it matches what is done on the line
- Whether incoming inspection of raw materials and components is carried out and whether there are records
- Whether the measuring instruments work and whether they have passed verification
- How acceptance inspection is documented and what happens to rejected products
- Whether traceability is ensured: whether the batch of raw materials can be reconstructed from a unit of product
- Whether there are buyer complaints and how they were handled
- Whether the labelling on current products matches the certificate
Records matter more than folders. A log filled in a week before the check with one handwriting and one pen is recognised instantly and spoils the impression more than its absence.
If production is abroad
For importers, inspection control is a separate item of expense and headache, because the site is in another country.
- Travel of the experts. Paid by the applicant, including travel and accommodation; the dates are agreed in advance.
- Interaction with the factory. The factory’s readiness to accept the check is needed — this item is worth fixing in the contract, otherwise the factory may simply refuse.
- Sampling. It can also be carried out in circulation — from a batch in your warehouse, without a trip to the site.
- Alternative. If inspection control is unaffordable, it is worth recalculating the economics of the batch scheme: it has no such control, but is repeated with every delivery.
A comparison of the serial and batch schemes by cost and timing is in the article on conformity assessment schemes.
How to prepare in a week
If the check has already been scheduled and order was last put in place long ago, this is what gives the greatest effect in a short time.
- Compare the labelling of current products with the certificate: name, manufacturer, models, EAC mark.
- Check the list of models in the certificate — whether new ones have appeared over the year that are not there.
- Collect the inspection records for the period since the last check in one place.
- Check the verification dates of the measuring instruments — an overdue verification devalues all measurements.
- Pull up the buyer complaints and prepare what was done about them.
- Make sure that the process documentation is up to date and that work on the line follows it.
- Prepare samples for selection, if it is provided for.
The first two items close the most frequent remarks and require nothing but attentiveness.
Check your product
Describe your product in plain words — the system will show the expected HS code (TN VED), the applicable regulations and the set of documents. Start the check.
