EAC Certificate for Household Appliances

Household appliances are a wide range of devices that make our everyday lives easier and more comfortable. As with all products, it is necessary to undergo EAC certification when importing household appliances into the EAEU.

The aim of this procedure is to ensure the quality and safety of appliances and to inform consumers about the characteristics of household appliances.

Application of TR CU/EAEU Regulations

Conformity assessment of household appliances is carried out either by EAC certification or EAC declaration, with the chosen form depending on the type of appliance.

The household appliances are treated according to the following requirements of Technical Regulations of the Eurasian Economic Union:

• TR CU 004/2011 - On the safety of low voltage installations
• TR CU 016/2011 - On the safety of appliances powered by gas
• TR CU 020/2011 - On electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)
• TR EAEU 037/2016 - On the use of hazardous substances
• TR EAEU 048/2019 - On the requirements for energy efficiency

The validity period of EAC certificates or EAC declarations for household appliances varies depending on the TR CU/EAEU regulations applied, the selected approval scheme and the type of production. On average, the validity period is between one and five years.

The Approval Process for Household Appliances

The basis for certification is the analytical evaluation of technical documentation and test protocols, which are either prepared in-house or provided by accredited test laboratories. If necessary, an additional audit is carried out.

Standard procedure for EAC conformity assessment:

• Submission of the application to the certification body
• Formal and content review of the application documents
• Classification of the product and selection of test samples
• Performance of tests and analyses of the product samples
• On-site audit of the production facility, if necessary
• Issue of the confirmation of conformity by the certification body
• Carrying out the EAC marking of certified products
• Regular monitoring and inspection of certified products

The application for EAC approval for household appliances follows different procedures depending on the type of delivery. A distinction is made between individual deliveries, batch deliveries and series production, whereby specific requirements apply in each case.

Documents for the Certification of Household Appliances

EAC Certification of Household Appliances

Certification is intended for electrical and household appliances designed for a rated voltage of 50 to 1000 V alternating current and 75 to 1500 V direct current.

The certification of such appliances is carried out in accordance with the technical regulations TR CU 004/2011 (low-voltage systems), TR CU 016/2011 (gas systems) and TR CU 020/2011 (EMC).

These are, for example, the following appliances:

• Household appliances for cooking food
• Household appliances to support kitchen work
• Household appliances for storing food
• Household appliances for washing, ironing, drying and cleaning
• Household appliances for regulating the indoor climate
• Household appliances for cleaning living spaces
• Heating appliances and sanitary-hygienic household appliances
• Household appliances for aquariums and garden ponds
• Household appliances for gardening
• Sports and training household appliances
• Audio and video household appliances
• Power supply units and chargers
• Lighting appliances

The following list is not exhaustive. Before exporting to the EAEU countries, all household appliances must be checked to see whether EAC certification is required.

The EAC approval of household appliances ensures that the appliances comply with the applicable safety and quality standards.

Certification is carried out by an accredited certification body. The certification of household appliances is carried out in accordance with schemes 1C, 3C or 4C.

Scheme 1C: This EAC certification scheme is intended for series production. The certificate can be issued for a period of 1 to 5 years. As a rule, sample products, an ISO certification and/or a production audit are required.

Scheme 3C: This scheme is used for the certification of batch deliveries. The certification of a batch can also be issued for a maximum of 5 years. Here too, sample products and a production audit are usually required.

Scheme 4C: The 4C scheme is intended for the EAC approval of individual deliveries. This certification can be issued for a maximum of 5 years, whereby sample products or a production audit are required depending on the product.

For all certifications it is necessary to carry out an annual inspection check. If the product has not changed, this inspection control can often be considered a formality for the extension of the validity of the approvals.

EAC Declaration of Household Appliances

The EAC declaration concerns household appliances that are not subject to mandatory certification and are not on the list of goods subject to mandatory certification. The declaration is carried out in accordance with the provisions of TR CU/EAEU regulations.

Relevant regulations:

• TR EAEU 037/2016 - Restriction of hazardous substances in electrical appliances
• TR EAEU 048/2019 - Requirements for energy efficiency of electrical appliances

The following electrical appliances are subject to the EAC declaration:

• Measuring instruments
• laboratory equipment
• Industrial appliances
• Industrial equipment
• Special appliances

The following electrical appliances are not subject to the EAC declaration:

• Medical devices
• ATEX equipment
• Safety devices
• Transportation equipment
• Armaments
• Load hoists
• Chain hoists
• Elevators

The declaration of household appliances is carried out in accordance with the declaration schemes: The EAC declaration is issued by the manufacturer, exporter or the manufacturer's representative. 

The manufacturer, exporter or the manufacturer's representative (applicant) is responsible for the implementation and archiving of EAC approval documents.

The declaration for household appliances is made according to the 1D, 2D, 3D, 4D and 6D schemes. Schemes 1D, 3D and 6D are intended for series production, while schemes 2D and 4D are intended for individual deliveries and batch deliveries.

EAC Labeling of Household Appliances

Manufacturers may mark their products with the EAC mark of the Eurasian Economic Union, provided that their conformity with the TR CU/EAEU regulations has been proven.

Requirements for the EAC conformity mark:

• Must be affixed to the type plate
• Must be clearly legible to the naked eye
• Color contrast to the surface
• Monochrome design
• Permanent legibility
• Minimum size: 5 mm

The following mandatory information must be provided on the rating plate, on the product itself and also on the product packaging:

• Manufacturer's trademark
• Date of manufacture (MM/YYYY)
• Product designation
• Labeling
• Country of origin
• Product model
• Product brand
• Product type

If it is not technically possible to affix the type plate directly to the product, the mandatory information must be provided in the operating instructions. All information must be written in the official languages of the Eurasian Economic Union.

Placing products on the market without EAC marking can be punished with fines or confiscation of the goods by the competent authorities.

GOST Certification of Household Appliances

Voluntary GOST certification is an excellent opportunity for manufacturers and exporters to present special product features and thus strengthen customer confidence in the quality of goods.

Furthermore, voluntary GOST certification may be necessary when products are supplied to state institutions as part of tenders. The GOST certificate is issued on the initiative of the manufacturer. Products that are voluntarily certified may be labeled with the corresponding GOST certification mark.

Voluntary GOST certification is achieved by testing products in accordance with national and international GOST/ISO standards. GOST approval is valid for up to 3 years. Several national and international ISO, IEC and GOST standards are used for household appliances.

The most common include:

Notification of Household Appliances

Notification is a procedure for registering and securing devices that can potentially be used for data encryption. The main objective of notification is to register and control these household appliances.

The following products are particularly important for household appliances:

• Smartphones, cell phones
• Computers, laptops, tablets
• Wireless mice and keyboards
• Cordless devices with WLAN or Bluetooth
• Televisions and radios with WLAN or Bluetooth function
• Radio navigation, remote control devices
• Access devices and television receivers
• Printers, copiers and fax machines
• Telecommunications devices
• WLAN routers, chip cards

Safety Requirements for Household Appliances

The TR CU/EAEU regulations define specific safety requirements for household appliances. These requirements ensure protection against various hazards, including. 

• Physical, chemical or biological hazards
• Injuries caused by rotating and stationary parts
• Elevated temperatures, electric arcs or radiation
• Exposure to electric current
• Mechanical and switching resistance
• Risk during installation
• Overloads and failures

These safety requirements are crucial to ensure the safety of consumers and minimize potential hazards. 

Product Samples for EAC Certification

An essential part of the conformity assessment procedure is the testing of product samples. The aim of this test is to determine the conformity of the product with the relevant technical regulations of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

When carrying out an EAC certification, the tests are carried out in accredited testing laboratories. These tests must be carried out in accordance with the applicable TR CU/EAEU requirements. In the case of a declaration, however, it is permissible to carry out the tests in non-accredited laboratories.

After completion of the tests, a test report is created. This contains the documented results of the tests as well as information on the test methods used, the manufacturer of the product and the test laboratory carrying out the tests.

Production Audit as Part of the Certification Process

As part of the conformity assessment of certain product groups that are subject to certification, the technical regulations of the Eurasian Economic Union require a mandatory production audit. The audit is part of the process and is a prerequisite for issuing a certificate for series production.

The aim of the production audit is to check whether the existing production processes, quality management systems and manufacturing conditions meet the TR CU/EAEU requirements. This applies in particular to products that are to be certified as part of series production. The audit is carried out by a certification body.

The production audit is carried out in accordance with GOST-R Standard 54293-2010: Production audit for conformity assessment. This GOST standard specifies the requirements for the procedure, the evaluation criteria and the documentation of the audit. 

Inspection Control within the Scope of Certification

Once an EAC certificate has been issued, regular surveillance is required to ensure that the certified products continue to comply with the applicable technical requirements of the Eurasian Economic Union.

This surveillance is carried out as part of an external inspection control carried out by the certification body that issued the certificate. The inspection control is a systematic and recurring conformity assessment measure.

It serves to confirm that:

1. the product continues to comply with the technical regulations,
2. the production conditions remain unchanged or continue to be compliant,
3. the products are properly marked with the EAC mark.

The inspection check is only required for certificates. No external monitoring is required for products that are placed on the market as part of a declaration. The inspection control is carried out at fixed intervals and is a prerequisite for maintaining the validity of the EAC certificate.

Disposal of Household Appliances

The TR EAEU 037/2016, which deals with the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment, contains important regulations on the disposal of household appliances in its updated version.

This requires the separate waste collection label to be affixed to the product as well as on the packaging and in EAC operating documents. The label must have a minimum height of 7 mm.

In addition, the operating instructions should be supplemented with mandatory instructions that include the following: Goods that have lost their use properties must not be disposed of together with unsorted waste.

Furthermore, information should be provided on the possible harmful effects on health and the environment of hazardous substances contained in appliances. Household appliances that are no longer used should be recycled.

These measures are crucial to ensure the environmentally friendly disposal of household appliances and to protect people and the environment.