Technical approval schemes are not only being organised in Belgium, but in most countries.

Technical Approval schemes exist to examine and confirm fitness for use of unique, innovative and complex products, kits and systems and products and kits and systems installed, executed, incorporated or assembled using techniques that are considered uncommon, i.e. which deviate from the applicable codes of practice, taking into account their intended use(s). Codes of practice, such as the Technical Notes issued by the BBRI in Belgium, may have a different status and form (standards, guides, …) in different countries and their content rarely corresponds.

Because these products and/or techniques deviate from traditional products and kits, their use in construction systems is usually not documented. Therefore, Technical Approvals do not only comprise technical information about the product or kit, but generally also information about the system in which these are used.

Technical approvals may also be referred to as ‘Approval certificate’, ‘Avis technique’, ‘Attest met productcertificaat ‘ or ‘Zülassung’ in other countries.

Given the different legal systems, traditions, uses, climate, geology, etc. and different users’ expectations with regards to safety, quality, comfort and use of construction works in different countries, the products, kits and systems covered by Technical Approvals, the criteria that apply and the reliability offered through the Technical Approval processes differ.
In addition, due to the different education, competences, responsibilities, insurance and liability rules in the different European countries for construction actors, the content of the information in Technical Approvals differs as well.
Consequently, Technical Approval schemes in different countries may operate differently in practice.

This also clarifies why it is generally not possible for manufacturers to use approvals and certificates intended for one country, in another one, even though (some of) the methods used to evaluate the product or system are identical or similar.

However, many products are being placed on the market in several countries and manufacturers are often interested in obtaining approvals or product certificates in several countries. To limit efforts and costs, manufacturers may be interested in one approval body contacting other approval bodies to see whether and how collaboration may be established.

Due to the differences, the issuing of a technical approval by an approval body, merely on the basis of an already existing technical file and approval or certificate (which is generally referred to as ‘confirmation’ or ‘mutual recognition’), is in most – if not all – cases not possible, but the acceptance of (part of) the already established technical file or the simultaneous development of an evaluation plan are certainly possibilities.

This is one of the reasons why UBAtc is member of both UEAtc and WFTAO.
In case manufacturers are interested in benefitting from the network of approval bodies that UBAtc belongs to, we invite you to contact the UBAtc secretariat.