      

4 March 2008

         

         

TRANSATLANTIC ECONOMIC COUNCIL OBJECTIVE: US ACCEPTANCE OF SDoC FOR

ELECTRICAL, ELECTRONIC AND ICT PRODUCTS

         

         

         

The European Commission considers that the need to submit low-risk
electrical and electronic         products to third-party conformity
assessment intervention prior to their sale in the US market        
imposes unnecessary additional costs and market-entry barriers on
exporters of these goods,         thereby obstructing and distorting
transatlantic commerce.

         

The European Commission requests the US Government to allow the import
and sale of any low-risk electrical and electronic product on the basis
of the manufacturer’s declaration of conformity (usually referred to
as Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity, SD0C), thereby eliminating
mandatory third-party intervention.

         

Under such a regime, manufacturers are obliged to prepare and keep for
inspection by public          authorities a fully documented technical
file to prove conformity with the applicable safety         rules and to
guarantee internal production control. This file is determinant in case
of legal         challenge. The EU has successfully used this regime for
these low-risk products, achieving a         high level of safety
without the costs associated with mandatory third party intervention.

         

In this context, low-risk electrical and electronic products mean those
products that use         electricity up to 1000 Volts for alternating
current (AC) and up to 1500 Volts for direct current (DC).

         

Products outside the scope of this “low-risk electrical and electronic
product” definition are         electrical equipment for use in an
explosive atmosphere, electrical equipment for radiology         and
medical purposes, electrical parts for goods and passenger lifts,
electricity meters, plugs         and socket outlets for domestic use,
electric fence controllers, radio-electrical interference,        
specialised electrical equipment for use on ships, aircraft or railways,
which complies with the         safety provisions drawn up by
international bodies in which the EU Member States participate.

         

         

  The EU rules applicable to low-risk electrical and electronic products
are contained in the so-called “Low

 Voltage Directive” (2006/95/EC), which can be found online at

 http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/electr eguipment/lv/index.htm.

