Recently, Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People’s Republic of China (CNCA), in conjunction with streamlining and regulation, continues to reinforce the role of quality certification as a “safety net.” While ensuring the smooth operation of the Mandatory Product Certification (CCC) self-declaration system, CNCA has issued the “Announcement of CNCA on Strengthening the Laboratory Testing Quality Responsibility of CCC Self-Declaration Evaluation Method” (referred to as the “Announcement” below), which mandates CCC self-declaration laboratories to strictly implement the quality responsibility for testing.
Requirements of the “Announcement”
The “Announcement” stipulates that CCC self-declaration laboratories should strictly adhere to legal practices, take primary responsibility for the self-declared testing results, and specifically designate personnel for four core processes: receiving commissions and reviewing contracts, developing testing plans, reviewing and issuing testing reports, and uploading testing reports. This is to ensure the authenticity and validity of testing results. These laboratories should establish a traceability system for the self-declaration testing process and results, thoroughly identify critical points affecting testing results, and promptly disclose information to the public, such as self-declaration testing fees, testing timeframes, and the commissioning testing process, to enhance their technical service capabilities.
Products covered
Currently, the CCC catalog includes a total of 96 product types in 16 major categories, with 19 product types adopting the self-declaration evaluation method, accounting for 19.8% of the product types within the CCC catalog. Under the CCC self-declaration evaluation method, companies can choose a laboratory for type testing and, after completing self-assessment, can affix the CCC mark to their products and bring them to market. This effectively reduces the certification costs for companies. Meanwhile, the issuance of testing reports by the selected laboratory has become a crucial aspect of implementing the CCC self-declaration system, directly impacting the quality of CCC self-declaration. In recent years, inspections have revealed issues with some self-declaration laboratories, such as a lack of proper understanding of standards and non-standard testing reports and original records.
In the next phase, Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People’s Republic of China (CNCA) will enhance its supervision of CCC self-declaration activities, take strict actions against illegal practices, comprehensively oversee the implementation of the responsibilities of CCC self-declaration laboratories, and ensure the quality and safety of products listed in the CCC catalog.
