Authorized Representative Requirement
What is an Authorized Representative? When is an Authorized Representative required?
An Authorized Representative represents a medical device manufacturer on all issues of law and regulation and compliance to all Competent Authorities in the EU and EFTA countries and before the European Commission. An Authorized Representative is required whenever a manufacturer does not maintain a legal residence within the EU or EFTA countries.
COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 93/42/EEC
Article 1
Definitions, scope
(f) ‘manufacturer’ means the natural or legal person with responsibility for the design, manufacture, packaging and labelling of a device before it is placed on the market under his own name, regardless of whether these operations are carried out by that person himself or on his behalf by a third party.
The obligations of this Directive to be met by manufacturers also apply to the natural or legal person who assembles, packages, processes, fully refurbishes and/or labels one or more ready-made products and/or assigns to them their intended purpose as a device with a view to their being placed on the market under his own name. This subparagraph does not apply to the person who, while not a manufacturer within the meaning of the first subparagraph, assembles or adapts devices already on the market to their intended purpose for an individual patient;
(j) ‘authorised representative’ means any natural or legal person established in the Community who, explicitly designated by the manufacturer, acts and may be addressed by authorities and bodies in the Community instead of the manufacturer with regard to the latter’s obligations under this Directive;
Article 14
Registration of persons responsible for placing devices on the market
1. Any manufacturer who, under his own name, places devices on the market in accordance with the procedures referred to in Article 11 (5) and (6) and any other natural or legal person engaged in the activities referred to in Article 12 shall inform the competent authorities of the Member State in which he has his registered place of business of the address of the registered place of business and the description of the devices concerned.
For all medical devices of classes IIa, IIb and III, Member States may request to be informed of all data allowing for identification of such devices together with the label and the instructions for use when such devices are put into service within their territory.
2. Where a manufacturer who places a device on the market under his own name does not have a registered place of business in a Member State, he shall designate a single authorised representative in the European Union. For devices referred to in the first subparagraph of paragraph 1, the authorised representative shall inform the competent authority of the Member State in which he has his registered place of business of the details referred to in paragraph 1.
3. The Member States shall on request inform the other Member States and the Commission of the details referred to in the first subparagraph of paragraph 1 given by the manufacturer or authorised representative.