According to the By-law on Criteria Construction Products are Subject to, the national approvals are issued in order to determine the criteria for the products used in constructions works for which there is neither a harmonized standard, nor a national standard, or which differ significantly from these standards, as well as for the products which become kits as they are placed on the market together even if their safety may be proved separately, and certification of the products before placing on the market. It also includes the approvals of the assembled systems and design systems.
Technical Approvals for the Product: On condition that construction works are built and designed in conformity with the essential requirements, the approval of the products used permanenetly in the constructions works that they are fit for their intended use for which there is neither a national standard, nor which differ significantly from these standards, the approval of kits that are set from of at least two separate components put together to be installed permanently in construction works, can be purchased in one transaction from a single supplier and have their own characteristics to satisfy the essential requirements (BCCPS article 9.1)
Technical Approvals for the Prototype Products: Prototype product means products of non-series production, adaptable to development and use according to the demands of its users, of which its conditions of workmanship and installation are determined by those involved in the building process, but has reliable performance in terms of essential requirements for a defined intended use (BCCPS article 9.2)
Technical Approvals for Additional Characteristics: The product characteristics that are not contained in the standards the products are subject to, if declared in the framework of BCCPS, during the revision of the standard, shall be subject to the national technical approval in the framework of the inadequate standard, besides the conformity assessment the product is already subject to (BCCPS article 5.2).
Technical Approvals for Deviations from Essential Requirements: In case the essential requirement(s) which the construction works are subject to does not exist or differ significantly from them, the National Technical Approval is considered to be an essential requirement and the related construction work can be designed according to the performance values of that product. In case there is a harmonized or a national standard for the related product, the product can be accepted as safe within the framework of the technical approval, without being marked separately. (BCCPS article 9.2).
Technical Approvals for Mutual Recognition: Technical Approval for a product or product group is granted by ITBAK upon request of the manufacturer or its representative established in the EU. The technical approvals granted by bodies of member states of EU in the framework of mechanisms of mutual recognition are also accepted to be equivalent. (BCCPS article 9.4 and 11.1).
Technical Approvals for Assembled Systems: Means definition of the requirements of workmanship and the conditions of installation of a kit, for which even if there may be an existing provision, alone or together with components which may or may not themselves be construction products, to form works or parts of works, with a course of action that is not possible to be placed in the market as a product (BCCPS article 9.3).
Technical Approvals for Design Systems: Design system means systems developed for certain construction works or parts, composed of components that are set for different solutions according to architectural details which are proved to satisfy the related essential requirements, that can be accepted as kits after they have been installed in the works even if they can be purchased in one transaction from a single supplier, and their setting together needs to be inspected during execution according to the proven architectural detail (BCCPS article 9.3).
Extension: National Technical Approvals are subject to rules emerged with the By-Law on Construction Products (89/106/EEC) in terms of application process and format. National Technical Approvals are issued for a 5 year period. On request, it can be extended for the same periods. However, technical approvals granted for prototype products can not be extended (BCCPS article 9.5).
According to the By-Law on Construction Products (89/106/EEC) European technical approval is a conformity certification which may be granted to products for which there is neither a harmonized standard, nor a recognized national standard, nor a mandate for a harmonized standard and for which the Commission, considers that a standard could not, or not yet, be elaborated, in the framework of Interpretative Documents, in conformity with the guidelines made up by EOTA, if guideline does not exist, in conformity with Interpretative Documents.
The provisions about European Technical Approvals are introduced in the Communiqu矇 on Common Method and General Format within the scope of Construction Products By-Law published in Official Journal no 25501 dated 23.06.2004.
European Technical Approval (ETA) is issued according to the European Technical Approval Guideline (ETAG) (BCP 8.2c). ETAG shall mean the guidelines mandated by the Standing Committee on Construction (EOTA) according to the Interpretative Documents on a product or family of products. If ETAG does not exist, ETA is issued according to an agreement (CuAP) between EOTA member states (BCP 8.2d)
Web site of www.eota.be can be visited in order to reach the texts of present ETAGs, the references of ETAs issued and information about EOTA members. The contents of the issued ETAs can be reached from the web sites of the bodies issuing the ETA.
Following an agreement between EOTA member states, if any other issues related to the product are also considered, assessments for these subjects should be clearly individuated from the others discussed in Essential Requirements. These considerations should be made voluntarily.
To see the schema of issuing procedure of an ETA
