About CETA
The Canada-European Union (EU) Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is a free trade agreement between Canada and the EU. Its purpose is to facilitate trade between Canada and the EU and support better access and opportunities for Canadian businesses to be more competitive in the EU market.
The agreement was signed in 2016 and entered into force in 2017.
CETA is a comprehensive, ambitious, and inclusive free trade agreement that upholds and promotes the values that Canada shares with the EU.
Find out more about this agreement.
CETA presents Canadian businesses with preferential access to and excellent opportunities for growth in the EU.
Explore what CETA can do for your business.
Protocol on the mutual acceptance of the results of conformity assessment
The CETA agreement includes the protocol on mutual acceptance of conformity assessment results (the protocol). SCC is implementing the protocol on behalf of the government of Canada.
About the protocol
The protocol allows for the mutual recognition of conformity assessment results between Canada and the EU; this enables Canadian businesses to save time and money by being certified to EU requirements in Canada, and vice versa. The protocol applies to products requiring third party certification for the purpose of meeting the technical regulations of each party.
Product categories
The protocol specifies product categories that can be implemented which are identified in Annex I and Annex II of the Conformity Assessment Protocol. It allows for Canadian products to be certified for EU markets by Canadian conformity assessment bodies.
EU products destined for Canadian markets can now be certified by EU conformity assessment bodies that have been accredited by EU Accreditation Bodies after a product category is mobilized and activated.
Bilateral cooperation
The protocol is implemented through a bilateral cooperation agreement between SCC and the European cooperation for Accreditation. The agreement defines the scope and method of cooperation between the two organizations and is renewable every three years.
Recognition of SCC in the European Union
Our role as a notification authority in Canada
The EU’s regulatory framework requires that the bodies considered competent to certify products against EU directive(s) and/or regulation(s) be notified to the European Commission and the EU member states. This means they must be recognized as notified bodies.
SCC has been appointed as the authority to notify bodies based on mobilized product categories listed in the protocol. One exception is electromagnetic compatibility and radio equipment as it is fulfilled by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.
Canadian Conformity Assessment Body—Requirements to become a Designated Body (DB) for the European Union
Accreditation and notification
Canadian conformity assessment bodies
SCC-accredited conformity assessment bodies can have their scopes of accreditation extended to certify products against EU directive(s) and/or regulation(s) related to product categories included in the protocol.
If they have a legal presence in Canada, they are eligible for designation as notified bodies in the EU.
Contact your SCC account manager at cetainfo@scc-ccn.ca if you are:
- an SCC-accredited conformity assessment body and interested in extending your scope of accreditation to include EU directives and/or regulations
- already accredited by SCC to EU directives and/or regulations and would like to become a notified body
EU accreditation bodies and certification bodies in Canada
When recognized in Canada, the EU accreditation bodies can accredit EU conformity assessment bodies as competent to certify products to Canadian technical regulations.
Canadian manufacturers
Do you wish to certify your products for the EU market? Contact SCC at cetainfo@scc-ccn.ca.
Canadian regulators
For EU accreditation bodies to be recognized in Canada, they need to ensure that their accredited conformity assessment bodies establish relationships with Canadian authorities having jurisdiction and/or with the appropriate regulatory authority advisory bodies, in the same manner as SCC-accredited conformity assessment bodies in Canada. The protocol does not require any changes to Canadian and EU regulatory requirements. EU products will be certified by EU conformity assessment bodies for the Canadian market so that they meet all applicable federal, provincial, and territorial regulations.
Questions?
Contact SCC at cetainfo@scc-ccn.ca