General Standards
Spain is the fifth largest economy in the European Union (EU) and now one of the fastest growing in the euro-zone. Spanish requirements for certification and testing standards have gradually adopted EU directives. Most products that meet the standards and certification requirements of any other EU country can be imported and sold in Spain without further testing.
Standards Organizations
The setting of the Spanish standards is a process based on consensus initiated by industry or mandated by the European Commission, carried out by independent standards bodies acting at the national, European or international level. There is strong encouragement for non-governmental organizations, such as environmental and consumer groups, to actively participate in European standardization.
Most of the trade standards in Spain are adopted by the international standards bodies such as the International Standards Organization (ISO). The drafting of specific Spanish standards is handled by the following three European standards organizations:
1. CENELEC, European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization https://www.cenelec.eu/
2. ETSI, European Telecommunications Standards Institute http://www.etsi.org/
3. CEN, European Committee for Standardization, handling all other standards http://www.cen.eu/cenorm/homepage.htm
Product Certification
In order to sell products on the Spanish market, all the international importers and exporters are required to apply CE marking whenever their product is covered by specific product legislation. CE marking product legislation offers manufacturers a number of choices and requires decisions to determine which safety/health concerns need to be addressed, which conformity assessment module is best suited to the manufacturing process, and whether or not to use EU-wide harmonized standards.
The CE mark is primarily for the benefit of the national control authorities, and its use simplifies the task of essential market surveillance of regulated products.
The CE marking is not intended to include detailed technical information on the product, but there must be enough information to enable the inspector to trace the product back to the manufacturer or the authorized EU representative. This detailed information should not appear next to the CE marking, but rather on the declaration of conformity (which the manufacturer or authorized agent must be able to provide at any time, together with the product's technical file), or the documents accompanying the product.
Accreditation
Independent test and certification laboratories, known as notified bodies, have been officially accredited by national authorities to test and certify EU requirements. "European Accreditation" is an organization representing nationally recognized accreditation bodies.
Spain has established specific certification requirements for certain products. This certification procedure is referred to as "homologation", and requires product testing by approved laboratories. Local homologation requirements and testing standards have adapted Spanish legislation, which is in line with EU directives.
Packaging and Labeling
The packing must be realized in accordance with the European legislation on the prevention of risks to the consumers' health and on environment protection and particularly relating to waste treatment. Packages in wood or plant material can be subjected to a phytosanitary check.
All the essential information on the product must be labeled or counter-labeled in Spanish (+ other joint official languages, potentially for commercial reasons).
Labeling of the products have to contain the consumption age for alcohol, colorants, standards, etc. In addition to EU's mandatory and voluntary schemes, there has to be indicated the national voluntary labeling schemes, often appreciated by consumers.
The European legislation provides the special labeling rules for certain products such as food, household appliances, sportswear, textiles, etc. Cigarettes, electrical products, drugs, pharmaceutical and cosmetics, fertilizers and fungicides, firearms, motor vehicles, tires and tubes are subject to specific regulations.
Packaged food must carry a statement identifying either:
1. the country where the food was made, produced or grown;
2. the country where the food was manufactured or packaged and that the food is a mix of ingredients imported into that country or a mix of local and imported ingredients.
Country of origin labeling applies to unpacked fresh and processed fruit, vegetables, nuts, spices, herbs, legumes, seeds, fish (including shellfish) and meat (pork, beef, sheep and chicken).
For example, the following unpacked foods are required to have country of origin labeling:
1. fresh and sun-dried tomatoes
2. processed ham and bacon
3. fresh and smoked fish fillets, and crumbed fish fillets
4. fresh apples and dried apples
5. chicken, pork, beef and lamb.
CONTACTS
ENAC
Serrano 240 – Planta.3,
28016 Madrid
Fax: +34 91 458 6280
E-mail: enac@enac.es
http://www.enac.es/web/enac/contacto
AENOR
Genova 6
28004 Madrid
Tel: +34 91 432 6000/ +34 902 102 201
Fax: +34 91 310 3172
