Evaluation of Automotive Components
When importing automotive parts, the legal and technical requirements of the relevant type approval under UNECE regulations (i.e., regulations of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) must be met. Some of these UNECE regulations have been adopted by EU member states and published in the Official Journal of the EU. These UNECE regulations, which have been published as “EU regulations,” are legally binding on EU members. For a detailed overview, see UNECE Regulations and Adopted EU Regulations.
In addition, further EC regulations for the automotive industry have been developed within the EU. The aforementioned Council Directives are directly implemented into the Czech Republic’s legislation for the automotive industry or into Slovakia’s legislation for the automotive industry. Where regulations are adopted under EU legislation, such as Regulation (EC) No. 661/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council (as amended), these regulations have direct effect in the legal systems of EU Member States and their provisions must therefore be complied with directly, without being transposed into national legislation.
As part of a major revision of Framework Directive 2007/46/EC, in which the Commission called for a fundamental overhaul of the framework for the “EU type-approval” of motor vehicles, the following were issued: Regulation (EU) 2018/858 of the European Parliament and of the Council text in PDF format as of July 1, 2024, unchanged No. (EU) 2024/1252, (EU) 2024/1689 on the approval of motor vehicles and their trailers, as well as systems, components, and separate technical units intended for such vehicles and on market surveillance thereof, amending Regulations (EC) No. 715/2007 and No. 595/2009, and repealing Directive 2007/46/EC. Regulation (EU) 2018/858 of the European Parliament and of the Council, text in PDF format dated July 1, 2024, without amendment (EU) 2024/1252, (EU) 2024/1689 repealed Directive 2007/46/EC with effect from September 1, 2020. Further information on this revision can be found in the European Commission’s press release “Safer and Greener Vehicles: European Commission Tightens Rules” (January 27, 2016). These legal
regulations are complemented by a large number of standards developed by ISO and CEN; see selected CEN/TC classes for the automotive industry and selected ISO/TC classes for the automotive industry. These standards are gradually being incorporated into the ČSN and STN systems; see selected ČSN classes and selected STN classes.
As part of a major revision of Framework Directive 2007/46/EC, in which the Commission called for a fundamental overhaul of the framework for the “EU type-approval” of motor vehicles, the following were issued: Regulation (EU) 2018/858 of the European Parliament and of the Council text in PDF format as of July 1, 2024, unchanged No. (EU) 2024/1252, (EU) 2024/1689 on the approval of motor vehicles and their trailers, as well as systems, components, and separate technical units intended for such vehicles and on market surveillance thereof, amending Regulations (EC) No. 715/2007 and No. 595/2009, and repealing Directive 2007/46/EC. Regulation (EU) 2018/858 of the European Parliament and of the Council, text in PDF format dated July 1, 2024, without amendment (EU) 2024/1252, (EU) 2024/1689 repealed Directive 2007/46/EC with effect from September 1, 2020. Further information on this revision can be found in the European Commission’s press release “Safer and Greener Vehicles: European Commission Tightens Rules” (January 27, 2016). These legal
regulations are complemented by a large number of standards developed by ISO and CEN; see selected CEN/TC classes for the automotive industry and selected ISO/TC classes for the automotive industry. These standards are gradually being incorporated into the ČSN and STN systems; see selected ČSN classes and selected STN classes.
Major automotive groups address requirements for automotive components through their own special corporate standards. However, these standards are not freely accessible to the public, and the groups provide them only to their subcontractors. In addition to corporate standards, however, there are publicly accessible industry standards (e.g., in Germany and the U.S.). These are standards voluntarily adhered to by automotive manufacturers, which are available for free or for a fee.
In the automotive industry supply chain, quality management systems were implemented in accordance with ISO/TS 16949:2009. The ISO/TS 16949 technical specification has been replaced by a new international standard: IATF 16949:2016; for more information, see also the document: International Automotive Task Force TRANSITION STRATEGY ISO/TS 16949 › IATF 16949. Certificates according to ISO/TS 16949:2009 were valid until September 14, 2018. Certification according to ISO/TS 16949:2009 was still possible until October 1, 2017. After October 1, 2017, audits are conducted only according to the new international standard IATF 16949:2016. For more information, see the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) website.
Global automotive manufacturers and organizations within the automotive supply chain use the International Material Data System (IMDS) and the Global Automotive Declaration Substance List (GADSL).
Automotive products fall under the category of non-harmonized products, meaning there are no European harmonized standards for them. Regulation (EU) 2019/515 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mutual recognition of goods lawfully placed on the market in another Member State is now in force; it strengthens the functioning of the internal market by improving the application of the principle of mutual recognition and removing unjustified barriers to trade. Regulation (EU) 2019/515 of the European Parliament and of the Council imposes an obligation to clearly justify any restriction or refusal of market access. Regulation (EU) 2019/515 of the European Parliament and of the Council applies to products of any kind, including agricultural products, as well as to products for which EU harmonization legislation applies only to certain aspects. Regulation (EU) 2019/515 of the European Parliament and of the Council will now allow economic operators to draw up their own voluntary “declaration of mutual recognition,” which demonstrates to the competent authorities of a Member State that a specific product has been lawfully placed on the market in another Member State. The mutual recognition declaration must contain all the information listed in Part I and Part II of the Annex and must also follow the specified structure for this data. Part I of the Annex is intended for the manufacturer or its authorized representative; Part II of the Annex is for importers or distributors. The declaration shall be submitted to the competent authority of the Member State in paper form or electronically, or made available online. For online availability, the following conditions must be met: easy identification of the type or series of products to which the declaration applies; easy searchability, traceability, and availability of the declaration; and access to it. If the product is also subject to an EU regulation requiring a declaration of conformity, the declaration for mutual recognition may be attached to the EU declaration of conformity. The declaration for mutual recognition is drawn up in one of the official languages of the EU; if this language is not the language required by the Member State of destination, economic operators shall translate it into the language required by that State.
In case of doubt as to whether a product is or is not a non-harmonized product, the PCPs (Product Contact Points) may be contacted. The main task of the PCPs (Product Contact Points) is to provide information to businesses and administrative authorities of other Member States regarding issues related to the free movement of goods in the non-harmonized sector. For businesses, this means the opportunity, for example, to obtain information free of charge and within 15 working days of receiving a request regarding the relevant technical rules for a specific type of product in the territory where these Product Contact Points are established.
