Certificates/declarations prolongation
A certificate or declaration with an expired validity period automatically deprives the manufacturer or seller of the right to sell the products for which they were issued. Is it possible to extend the validity of a certificate without conducting new research, and in what cases is this possible?
In Russia, several regulatory acts establish requirements for certificates and declarations of conformity. The ban on selling products without a certificate is anchored in both the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union (TR CU) and in national legislative acts and standards. Thus, in accordance with Federal Law No. 184-FZ "On Technical Regulation" dated 27.12.2002, when a certificate expires, it is necessary to:
- - Reissue the certificate or declaration (obtain a new one);
- - Extend the validity period of the existing certificate or declaration.
In the case of obtaining and registering a new document, clarifications are usually not required. This procedure is no different from obtaining a certificate for the first time: the applicant applies to the certification body, tests are conducted, a new certificate is issued. Previous certificates or declarations can serve as additional proof of reliability and quality.
How to extend a certificate or declaration
Currently, there is no specific regulation establishing requirements for the extension of a conformity document. The possibility of extension depends on:
- 1. The Technical Regulation of the Customs Union under which the product was certified allows for extension;
- 2. The results of the last inspection control did not reveal any violations of quality and safety.
Inspection control results are straightforward: the certification body either confirms compliance or revokes the certificate. However, any identified violations receive increased attention when considering an extension.
For example, the certification body may decide not to conduct repeated tests if such tests were conducted no more than a year ago with good results. In this case, the extension process will take significantly less time.
Regarding technical regulations, the possibility of extension is specified directly in the text of the TR CU (e.g., Article 6 of TR CU 001/2011). This mainly applies to products with a very long service life.
