Product Safety WG: Expert workshop with CNCA on mutual recognition of test reports

On 13 September 2013, the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) and the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People’s Republic of China (CNCA) have co-hosted a workshop in Berlin to elaborate on the potentials for mutual recognition of test reports between Germany and China. Further private sector representatives from the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association (ZVEI), the Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies (VDE), German and Chinese certification and testing institutes as well as representatives of German medium-sized businesses participated in the bilateral discussions. The workshop was organized by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

The expert workshop kicked off the project line decided on in summer 2013 by the German-Chinese Working Group Product Safety. The project line comprises the gradual harmonization of conformity assessment procedures between Germany and China that will support the further reduction of technical barriers to trade between both countries.

During active discussions, representatives of the German and Chinese side have developed detailed work packages on the basis of a sample product from the industrially used sector to lay the foundation for further bilateral discussions. Within each work package, international experts will work together in small groups to analyze procedural and substantive differences regarding product requirements in order to create a basis for the gradual recognition between the two countries.