AQSIQ-delegation visit regarding product safety of technical innovations in the automotive industry

In the context of the Sub Working Group on Product Safety in the Automotive Industry, a delegation visit of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China (AQSIQ), the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People’s Republic of China (CNCA), the China Quality Certification Centre (CQC) and further specialised institutions to Germany and Brussels took place from 20 to 24 April 2015. A special focus was on the evaluation of product safety in technical innovations. The aim was not only to create a comprehensive understanding of the legal frameworks in Germany and China but also to align those frameworks with the producers’ perspectives.

In a kickoff dialogue in the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) on 20 April 2015, the rules for approval as well as the organisation of product recalls in Germany and China were discussed. Further participants were representatives of the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI), the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), companies and associations. In additional expert discussions, which took place in the headquarters of the Automotive Industry Association (VDA), BMW, MAN, Daimler and Porsche/VW, the exchange could be further deepened and single aspects were explained with concrete examples. Eventually, the European legal framework and its latest developments were illuminated in a dialogue with the Directorate-General for Growth in Brussels.

Through the exchange on procedures of standard adjustments and interpretation as well as the certification of product innovations considering the innovation clause in European type approval (2007/46/EC, Art. 20), potentials for a facilitated market access for technical innovations could be identified.