Article 9Obligations of importers
1.Importers shall place only compliant products on the Union market.
2.Before placing a product on the market, importers shall ensure that the appropriate conformity assessment procedure has been carried out by the manufacturer. They shall also ensure that the manufacturer has drawn up the technical documentation, that the product bears the CE marking, as referred to in Article 17, and is accompanied by the documents required in accordance in Article 15 and point 2.5 of Part A of Annex I, point 4 of Part B of Annex I and point 2 of Part C of Annex I and that the manufacturer has complied with the requirements set out in Article 7(5) and (6).
Where an importer considers or has reason to believe that a product is not in conformity with the requirements set out in Article 4(1) and Annex I, he shall not place the product on the market until it has been brought into conformity. Furthermore, where the product presents a risk, the importer shall inform the manufacturer and the market surveillance authorities to that effect.
3.Importers shall indicate their name, registered trade name or registered trade mark and the address at which they can be contacted on the product or, in the case of components where that is not possible, on the packaging or in a document accompanying the product.
4.Importers shall ensure that the product is accompanied by instructions and safety information in the owner’s manual in a language or languages which can be easily understood by consumers and other end-users, as determined by the Member State concerned.
5.Importers shall ensure that, while a product is under their responsibility, storage or transport conditions do not jeopardise its compliance with the requirements set out in Article 4(1) and Annex I.
6.When deemed appropriate with regard to the risks presented by a product, importers shall, to protect the health and safety of consumers, carry out sample testing of products made available on the market, investigate, and, if necessary, keep a register of complaints, of non-conforming products and product recalls, and shall keep distributors informed of such monitoring.
7.Importers who consider or have reason to believe that a product which they have placed on the market is not in conformity with this Directive shall immediately take the corrective measures necessary to bring that product into conformity, to withdraw it or recall it, if appropriate. Furthermore, where the product presents a risk, importers shall immediately inform the competent national authorities of the Member States in which they made the product available to that effect, giving details, in particular, of the non-compliance and of any corrective measures taken.
8.Importers shall, for a period of 10 years after the product has been placed on the market, keep a copy of the declaration, as referred to in Article 15, at the disposal of the market surveillance authorities and ensure that the technical documentation can be made available to those authorities, upon request.
9.Importers shall, further to a reasoned request from a competent national authority, provide it with all the information and documentation necessary to demonstrate the conformity of a product in a language which can be easily understood by that authority. They shall cooperate with that authority, at its request, on any action taken to eliminate the risks posed by products which they have placed on the market.