Notified Bodies

Notified bodies carry out the tasks pertaining to the conformity assessment procedures referred to in the applicable new approach directives when a third party is required. The member states are responsible for the notification of the bodies. They can choose the bodies they notify from bodies of their jurisdiction.

On the basis of the assessment of the body applying for the notification it is decided if it is competent and able to carry out the respective conformity assessment procedure and if it offers the necessary independence, impartiality and integrity.

The notification is the information of the commission and the other member states that a body fulfilling the requirements has been designated to carry out the tasks pertaining to the conformity assessment modules pursuant to the directive. For information the commission publishes a list of notified bodies in the Official Journal of the European Union. The list is updated regularly and can be obtained from the agencies of the commission directly. The notification is withdrawn, if the notified body does not fulfil the requirements or its duties, respectively, anymore. The withdrawal is within the scope of the notifying member state, but can be carried out also because of proceedings for failure to fulfil obligations.

The notified bodies have to provide relevant information to the authority responsible for the notification, the market surveillance authorities and other notified bodies. They have to work in a competent, not discriminating, transparent, neutral, independent and impartial way. They have to employ personnel with the respective knowledge and know-how for the realization of the conformity assessment pursuant to the relevant directive.

They have to take provisions to ensure that the information obtained in the course of conformity assessment is treated confidentially.

They must have taken out sufficient civil liability insurance, so their professional activities are covered, unless the liability is assumed by the member state under national legislation.

They have to participate in coordination work. Furthermore, they have to take part directly in European standardization work, be represented or take care otherwise, that they are informed about the status of the relevant standards.

The BEV is presently notified body for the directive 90/384/EEC (Non-automatic weighing instruments) and for the directive 2004/22/EC of the European parliament and the council of 31 March 2004 on measuring instruments.

The updated list of the notified bodies as well as their scope can be interrogated from the following database:

Nando: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/nando/

More information on this topic you will find at the pages – Measuring instruments directive