Safe non-food consumer Products in the EU and China
The technical file for a product is the compilation of documents that the manufacturer must collate to provide evidence that the conformity assessment process has been carried out, and that the product is safe and complies with all relevant EU legislation.
The requirements relating to the technical file are described in an annex (called ‘Contents of Technical documentation’) to the applicable product safety legislation.
A number of general requirements apply to technical files for consumer products:
In certain circumstances (see the Using a third party factsheet) the product must be sent to a Notified Body for an EC-type examination. In such cases, the following elements are added to the technical file:
There are small differences from one directive to another, so it is always essential to check the requirements of the applicable legislation. However, by way of example, the following illustrates the information required in relation to two product categories, toys and electrical products:
The technical file for a toy shall contain the following information:
The technical file for electrical products shall contain the following information:
The manufacturer may include other documents in the technical file if appropriate. It is recommended to include a clear and well-structured table of the contents of the file and a list of changes to the product including the manufacturer’s analysis of the consequences of the change on the safety of the product.
General guidance on technical documentation:
For toys:
For electrical products:
You may also visit the SPEAC ACADEMY to learn more about the EU Safety requirements.
The provided information was updated in 2022. Please note that some of the provided information could change during possible subsequent revisions of legislation, standards, and guidance documents. For any updates of official information on the EU product safety rules, please follow the Link to the webpage of the European Commission.
This document was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of SPEAC project and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
This website was created and maintained with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of SPEAC project and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.