EAC is a certification mark which indicates that the products conform to all Technical Regulations of the Eurasian Customs Union. It aims to protect human life and health and the environment, as well as prevent misleading information being passed on to the consumer. All products that have passed relevant conformity assessment must be marked with the EAC symbol. Thus the EAC mark is an important prerequisite to bringing a product to market in the EAEU.

Some products that are first introduced to market in the EAEU must prove their conformity with the existing Technical Requirements of the EAEU. The Technical Regulations foresee 3 types of proof of conformity: EAC certification, EAC declaration and state registration.

The creation of a Customs Union and later of the Eurasian Economic Union between Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan led not only to abolition of customs borders and other obstacles between states. It also led to a subsequent coordination of Technical Regulations. The national standards such as GOST-R and TR in Russia, STB in Belarus or Kazakh GOST-K in Kazakhstan have been replaced by the binding technical rules applicable for all members of the Eurasian Economic Union. Another important aspect of the new standards is their coordination with the European standards.

Legal framework

As it stands, 48 Technical Regulations have been passed. The products for which no Technical Regulation has been developed still underly conformity assessment following national norms and standards of the member states. For example, the certification in the areas of fire protection and metrology are still subject to national regulations.

Products that do not underly mandatory conformity assessment may be certified with a voluntary GOST certificate.

The EAC markings were introduced through the board decision of the EAEU Commission No. 711 on July 15, 2011.

There are some important features of the EAC marking:

1. Only the products which are subject to relevant Technical Regulations of the EAEU can be marked with the EAC marking. For a voluntary certification GOST marking is still used in Russia.

2. The manufacturer himself is responsible for the choice of the relevant Technical Regulations for his product. With an EAC declaration the manufacturer declares that his product meets the requirements of the applicable Technical Regulations. In the case of a EAC Certificate an assessment based on technical documents, test reports or the production audit required.

3. Different types of products require different schemes of conformity assessment, from the analysis of technical documents to on site production audits.

4. Only a company established in the territory of the customs union may apply for the EAC certification or EAC Declaration. A foreign manufacturer needs an authorized representative in the Eurasian Economic Union.

5. The EAC Certification or EAC Declaration can be valid for up to 5 years depending on whether it is a one-time supply or serial production.

6. The products, which conform to all Technical Regulations and passed conformity assessment successfully are allowed to be used and sold in every member state of the EAEU.

7. The EAC marking must be attached to every product, etiquette, insert or sticker.

8. In addition to the EAC marking, no other mark or seal which could contradict to the "EAC" is permitted.

The EAC marking process consists of the following steps:

1. The manufacturer has to decide whether his product is subject to conformity assessment according to the Technical Regulations of the EAEU and which standards need to be applied. One product can be subject to several standards. The EAC
   conformity assessment is required for all products listed in the common list of products (in Russian) issued by the Eurasian economic commission under No. 620 from 07.04.2011. Here you will find a summary of the products that are subject to EAC certification and EAC Declaration. For other non-listed products, a national regulation for example TR marking must be considered, i.e. the measurement equipment or Fire-fighting equipment.

2. The manufacturer has to determine the conformity assessment process: certification, declaration or state registration. This depends on the classification of the product and its application area. Certification and declaration processes have different schemes of conformity assessment depending on the type of supply: one-time supply or serial production. Different schemes require different methods of demonstrating conformity and the volume of documentation and tests required.

3. In the next step the manufacture has to identify the scope of the conformity assessment required: internal assessment, mandatory assessment and tests by a notified body or a manufacturing audit carried out by a notified body.

4. The final step is to prepare all necessary technical documentation and to apply for a conformity assessment. After the assessment has been completed and the EAC Certificate or Declaration has been issued the manufacture attaches the EAC marking visibly, legibly and indelibly to the product.

Summary of differences between EAC Certificate and EAC Declaration