Mutual Recognition Agreements
Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) promote trade in goods and services between the European Union and third countries and facilitate market access. They are bilateral agreements, and aim to benefit industry by providing easier access to conformity assessment.
Conformity Assessment Bodies
Mutual recognition agreements lay down the conditions under which one Party (non-member country) will accept conformity assessment results (e.g. testing or certification) performed by the other's Party (the EU) designated conformity assessment bodies (CABs) to show compliance with the first Party's (non-member country) requirements and vice versa.
MRAs include relevant lists of designated laboratories, inspection bodies and conformity assessment bodies in both the EU and the third country. Links to existing lists are provided on this website.
List of mutual recognition agreements
Text of the agreement
The agreement between the EU and Australia covers the following sectors
- Automotive products
- EMC
- Low Voltage Equipment
- Machinery
- Medical Devices
- Pressure Equipment
- TTE
- GMP
Conformity assessment bodies
Text of the Protocol on the mutual acceptance of the results of conformity assessment is part of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada, of the one part, and the European Union and its Member States, of the other part
The agreement between the EU and Canada covers the following sectors
- Electrical and electronic equipment, including electrical installations and appliances, and related components
- Radio and telecommunications terminal equipment
- Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)
- Toys
- Construction products
- Machinery, including parts, components, including safety components, interchangeable equipment, and assemblies of machines
- Measuring instruments
- Hot-water boilers, including related appliances
- Equipment, machines, apparatus, devices, control components, protection systems, safety devices, controlling devices and regulating devices, and related instrumentation and prevention and detection systems for use in potentially explosive atmospheres (ATEX equipment)
- Equipment for use outdoors as it relates to noise emission in the environment
- Recreational craft, including their components
Conformity assessment bodies
Text of the agreement
The agreement between the EU and Israel covers the GLP.
Text of the agreement
The agreement between the EU and Japan is operational for the following sectors
- Electrical products
- R&TTE
- GMP
- GLP
Conformity assessment bodies
Text of the agreement
The agreement between the EU and New Zealand is operational for the following sectors
- EMC
- Low Voltage Equipment
- Machinery
- Medical Devices
- Pressure Equipment
- TTE
- GMP
Conformity assessment bodies
Text of the agreement
The agreement between the EU and Switzerland is operational for the following sectors
- Machinery (Chapter 1)
- Personal Protective Equipment (Chapter 2)
- Toys (Chapter 3)
- Medical Devices (Chapter 4)
- Gas appliances and boilers (Hot water boilers) (Chapter 5)
- Pressure vessels (Chapter 6)
- Radio Equipment and Telecommunication Terminal Equipment (Chapter 7)
- Equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres (Chapter 8)
- Electrical equipment (Chapter 9)
- Construction plant and equipment (Chapter 10)
- Measuring instruments and pre-packages (Chapter 11)
- Motor Vehicles (Chapter 12)
- Agricultural and forestry tractors (Chapter 13)
- Good Laboratory Practice - GLP (Chapter 14)
- Medicinal products, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), inspection batch and certification (Chapter 15)
- Construction products (Chapter 16)
- Lifts (Chapter 17)
- Biocidal products (Chapter 18)
- Cableways (Chapter 19)
- Explosives for civil use (Chapter 20)
Conformity assessment bodies
- not in the NANDO database
Chapter 12
Swiss authorities (199 KB) responsible for type-approval, technical services and testing bodies under motor vehicles chapters.
Chapter 13
Swiss authorities (89 KB) responsible for type-approval, technical services and testing bodies under motor vehicles chapters.
Chapter 14
(Good Laboratory Practice - GLP)
For the purpose of this sectoral chapter, 'Conformity Assessment Bodies' means the test facilities recognised under the GLP monitoring programme of each party.
Chapter 15
(Medicinal products, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) inspection and batch certification)
For the purpose of this sectoral chapter, 'Conformity Assessment Bodies' means the official GMP inspection services of each party.
Chapter 18
(Biocidal products)
For the purposes of this sectoral chapter, 'Conformity Assessment Bodies' means the competent authorities of Switzerland for placing biocidal products on the market: Federal Office of Public Health, Notification Authority for Chemicals
List of approved conformity assessment bodies (CABs) designated by the EU Member States
- to be found in the NANDO database
- not in the NANDO database
Chapter 11 (Measuring instruments and prepackages)
For the purpose of this sectoral chapter, 'Conformity Assessment Bodies' also means Competent Authorities (80 KB) (verification services and laboratories) responsible for calibration.
Chapter 12 (Motor vehicles) and 13 (Agricultural or forestry tractors)
For the purpose of these sectoral chapters, 'Conformity Assessment Bodies' means the authorities responsible for type-approval, technical services and testing bodies.
Chapter 14 (Good Laboratory Practice-GLP)
For the purpose of this sectoral chapter, 'Conformity Assessment Bodies' means the test facilities recognised under the GLP monitoring programme of each Party.
Chapter 15 (Medicinal products, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) inspection and batch certification)
For the purpose of this sectoral chapter, 'Conformity Assessment Bodies' means the official GMP inspection services of each Party.
Chapter 18 (Biocidal products)
For the purposes of this sectoral chapter, 'Conformity Assessment Bodies' means the competent authorities of the Member States of the European Union
Text of the agreement
The agreement between the EU and the USA is operational for the following sectors
- EMC
- Telecommunication Equipment
- Marine Equipment
Conformity assessment bodies
List of approved conformity assessment bodies designated by the USA
List of approved conformity assessment bodies (CABs) designated by the EU Member States
Guidance documents and references of regulations
- Implementation of Mutual Recognition Agreements on conformity assessment (MRA) and Protocol on European Conformity Assessment (PECA) Document Certif. 98/7 of 24.07.1998 (46 KB)
- Procedure for designation of conformity assessment bodies under an MRA and its annexes
Document Certif. 96/3 Rev. 6 of 14.06.2001 (43 KB) - Specifications concerning assessment and supervision of systems applying to Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) with a view to their designation under MRAs Document Certif. 96/1 of 26.06.1996 (22 KB)