EC VERIFICATION?

Council Directive 90/385/EEC
(5 September 2007)

ANNEX 4
EC VERIFICATION

1.   EC verification is the procedure whereby the manufacturer or his authorized representative established within the Community ensures and declares that the products subject to the provisions of section 3 are in conformity with the type as described in the EC type-examination certification and satisfy the requirements of this Directive that apply to them.

2.   The manufacturer or his authorized representative established within the Community shall take all measures necessary in order that the manufacturing process ensures conformity of the products to the type as described in the EC type-examination certification and to the requirements of this Directive that apply to them. The manufacturer or his authorized representative established within the Community shall affix the CE marking to each product and draw up a written declaration of conformity.

3.   The manufacturer shall, before the start of manufacture, prepare documents defining the manufacturing processes, in particular as regards sterilization, together with all the routine, pre-established provisions to be implemented to ensure uniformity of production and conformity of the products with the type as described in the EC type-examination certificate as well as with the relevant requirements of this Directive.

4.      The manufacturer shall undertake to institute and keep updated a post-marketing surveillance system including the provisions referred to in Annex 7. This undertaking shall include the obligation on the part of the manufacturer to notify the competent authorities of the following events immediately on learning of them:

(i) any change in the characteristics or performances and any inaccuracies in the instruction leaflet for a device which might lead to or have led to the death of a patient or deterioration in his state of health;

(ii) any technical or medical reason resulting in the withdrawal of a device from the market by a manufacturer.

5.   The notified body shall carry out the appropriate examinations and tests in order to check the conformity of the product to the requirements of this Directive by examination and testing of products on a statistical basis, as specified in section 6. The manufacturer must authorize the notified body to evaluate the efficiency of the measures taken pursuant to section 3, by audit where appropriate.

6.  Statistical verification
6.1.   Manufacturers shall present the products manufactured in the form of uniform batches and shall take all necessary measures in order that the manufacturing process ensures the uniformity of each batch produced.

6.2.   A random sample shall be taken from each batch. Products in a sample shall be individually examined and appropriate tests, as set out in the standard(s) referred to in Article 5, or equivalent tests shall be carried out to verify their conformity to the type as described in the EC type-examination certificate and thereby determine whether a batch is to be accepted or rejected.

6.3. Statistical control of products will be based on attributes and/or variables, entailing sampling schemes with operational characteristics which ensure a high level of safety and performance according to the state of the art. The sampling schemes will be established by the harmonised standards referred to in Article 5, taking account of the specific nature of the product categories in question.

6.4. Where batches are accepted, the notified body shall affix, or cause to be affixed, its identification number to each product and draw up a written certificate of conformity relating to the tests carried out. All products in the batch may be placed on the market except for those products from the sample which were found not to be in conformity.

Where a batch is rejected, the notified body shall take appropriate measures to prevent the placing on the market of that batch. In the event of frequent rejection of batches the notified body may suspend the statistical verification.

The manufacturer may, under the responsibility of the notified body, affix the latter’s identification number during the manufacturing process.

6.5.   The manufacturer or his authorized representative shall ensure that he is able to supply the notified body’s certificates of conformity on request.

7. Application to the devices referred to in Article 1(4a):

Upon completing the manufacture of each batch of devices referred to in Article 1(4a), the manufacturer shall inform the notified body of the release of the batch of devices and send to it the official certificate concerning the release of the batch of human blood derivative used in the device, issued by a State laboratory or a laboratory designated for that purpose by a Member State in accordance with Article 114(2) of Directive 2001/83/EC.