EU notification requirements: goods and electronic services
Directive 98/34/EC
EU Notification requirements for goods and electronic services is known as the Technical Standards and Regulations Directive 98/34/EC (as amended by Directive 98/48/EC).
The directive applies to information society services (i.e. services supplied at a distance by electronic means and at the individual request of a recipient of services), and to all industrially manufactured products and agricultural products.
The Directive seeks to prevent the creation of new technical barriers to trade and lays down a procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical standards and regulation. It applies to all member States, the European Economic Area (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein), EFTA (Switzerland) and Turkey.
Technical regulations
Regulations that require notification have to be notified to the Commission in draft, and generally observe a three month standstill period before the regulation is made or brought into force. This is to provide an opportunity for the Commission and Member States to raise concerns about potential barriers to trade. If a notified regulation is considered as a barrier to trade, a detailed opinion may be submitted and this will extend the standstill period for a further three months.
BIS acts as the Central Unit for the UK, administering the notification procedure on behalf of Government Departments and receiving other Member States notifications for onward transmission to the relevant Department,. Departments involve industry as appropriate in their comments.
Find out more about current notifications that may affect UK trade.
Recent examples of UK notification
TR 2537A Performance Specification for Portable Traffic Signal Control Equipment with Pedestrian Facilities for use at Road works.
Safety Code for Passenger Ships Operating Solely in UK Categoried Waters
Read more UK notification examples.
See also:
Current notifications
UK notifications: How do I submit a notification?
Other notification systems – see BIS's Technical Barrier to Trade page
Standards (BSI administers the notification procedure for new standards)
FAQ
