Directive 2007/23/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (repealed)Show full title

ANNEX III Minimum criteria to be taken into account by Member States for the bodies responsible for conformity assessments

1. The body, its director and the staff responsible for carrying out the verification tests must not be the designer, manufacturer, supplier, installer or importer of pyrotechnic articles which they inspect, nor the authorised representative of any of these parties. They must not become involved either directly or as authorised representative in the design, construction, marketing, maintenance or importation of such articles. This does not preclude the possibility of exchanges of technical information between the manufacturer and the body.

2. The body and its staff must carry out the verification tests with the highest degree of professional integrity and technical competence and must be free from all pressures and inducements, particularly financial, which might influence their judgment or the results of the inspection, especially from persons or groups of persons with an interest in the result of verifications.

3. The body must have at its disposal the necessary staff and possess the necessary facilities to enable it to perform properly the administrative and technical tasks connected with verification; it must also have access to the equipment required for special verification.

4. The staff responsible for inspection must have:

(a)

sound technical and professional training,

(b)

satisfactory knowledge of the requirements of the tests they carry out and adequate experience of such tests,

(c)

the ability to draw up the certificates, records and reports required to authenticate the performance of the tests.

5. The impartiality of inspection staff must be guaranteed. Their remuneration must not depend on the number of tests carried out or on the results of such tests.

6. The body must take out civil liability insurance unless its liability is assumed by the State in accordance with national law, or the Member State itself is directly responsible for the tests.

7. The staff of the body must observe professional secrecy with regard to all information gained in carrying out its tasks (except vis-à-vis the competent administrative authorities of the State in which its activities are carried out) under this Directive or any provision of national law giving effect to it.