There are vacancies under the Service Act for a Professional Councillor in the EU and International Cooperation Division of the International Relations Department ID 5100016, a Councillor/Professional Councillor in the Office of the President Division ID 1010004, a Professional Councillor in the Professional Activities Division of the State Examination Department ID 4200120, Expert Advice in the EU and International Cooperation Division of the International Relations Department ID 5100015 and Tenders under the Labour Code, Clerk/Referee to the State Testing Department ID 4100108 - Substitute for MD/RD and Head of the Technical Regulations Notification Division of the International Relations Department ID 5200017 - Substitute for MD/RD. Details can be found in the section offer of employment.
As of today, Ing. Jiří Kratochvíl.
The Authority issues as of 28.12.2023 the Statute of the Coordination Groups AO, NO, OS. Download is available here.
This morning, the Competitiveness Council adopted a new Regulation on machinery, which was discussed during CZ PRES. The ÚNMZ team that led the negotiations has reached a preliminary political agreement with the European Parliament and the European Commission in December 2022. The Regulation replaces the existing Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and creates a framework for the placing of safe machinery and related products on the EU market and will thus be directly binding not only on Member States but will also apply to all natural and legal persons in the Member States.
The new Regulation covers, among other things, the risks associated with digitisation and new technologies by modifying the basic health and safety requirements and by introducing mandatory third-party risk assessments for six categories of so-called "high-risk" groups of machinery. Safety information will have to be provided with each product. The Regulation also brings advantages for manufacturers in the context of digitisation, who will only be able to provide instructions for use of machinery in digital form. However, customers will be able to request free paper instructions until a certain time after the purchase of the machinery.
Once signed by the President of the European Parliament and the President of the Council, the Regulation will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union, will enter into force on the 20th day after publication and will be directly applicable in all Member States for 42 months thereafter.
The official press release can be found at the following link: New rules for machinery: Council gives its final approval - Consilium (europa.eu).
World Metrology Day is an annual celebration of the signing of the Metric Convention on 20 May 1875 by representatives of seventeen countries. The Convention established a framework for global cooperation in the science of measurement and its industrial, commercial and societal applications. The original goal of the Metric Convention - worldwide uniformity of measurement - remains as important today as it was in 1875. Since then, the Convention has been the foundation of a globally coherent system of measurement, the basis for scientific discovery and innovation, industrial production and international trade, as well as for improving the quality of life and protecting the global environment.
The importance of this system, and of measurement in general, is recalled by the theme of this year's World Metrology Day; it deals with measurement, supporting the global food system. The topic was chosen because of the growing challenges of climate change and the global distribution of food in a world with an ever-growing population.
Food sufficiency is one of the basic conditions of life and therefore ensuring access to safe and affordable food is a major challenge for governments around the world as well as for farmers and food producers. In 2021, food trade was worth USD 22 trillion and accounted for approximately 20% of all world trade.
It is widely recognised that the depletion of natural resources and the impact of climate change pose major challenges to the global food system, with the goal of achieving a world without hunger and with universal access to clean water. This goal has been included among the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations. The theme of World Metrology Day 2023 is then a reminder of the importance of working at all levels of metrology.
The theme of World Metrology Day is also the subject of two articles in No 2/2023 of Metrology Journal (Only Czech version here).
You can find more information here.
The Office for Technical Standardization, Metrology and State Testing (ÚNMZ) announces that it is moving back to its registered office address after the completion of the planned reconstruction of the building at 1148/5 Biskupský dvůr, Prague 1, effective 30 January 2023. All telephone numbers and e-mail addresses remain unchanged.
Moving works will be carried out in time 20 - 27 January 2023 and therefore normal operations cannot be ensured. Communication (email, phone) will be limited during the moving process. The Office will be fully operational on 30 January 2023.
The headquarters and workplace of the ÚNMZ will therefore remain permanent: Biskupský dvůr 1148/5, Prague 1;
The billing address and registered office for official documents (contracts, etc.) must always be Biskupský dvůr 1148/5, Prague 1;
Together with the ÚNMZ, the Czech Standards Agency, which is located in the same building at 1148/5 Biskupský dvůr, is moving back to its headquarters.
Thank you for your understanding
Mgr. Viktor Pokorný
President of the ÚNMZ
On 15 December 2022, the ÚNMZ team that led the negotiations on the new Machinery Regulation during CZ PRES reached a preliminary agreement with the European Parliament and the European Commission in the 3rd political trialogue.
The Regulation replaces the existing Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and establishes a framework for the placing of safe machinery and related products on the EU market and will thus be directly binding not only on Member States but will also apply to all natural and legal persons in the Member States.
The new Regulation covers, among other things, the risks associated with digitalisation and new technologies by modifying the basic health and safety requirements and by introducing a mandatory third-party assessment of the risks arising from the use of certain so-called "at risk" groups of machinery. In addition, the Regulation also brings advantages for manufacturers in the context of digitisation, who will be able to provide instructions for the use of machinery only in digital form.
The official press release can be found at the following link:
https://www.consilium.europa.eu/cs/press/press-releases/2022/12/15/council-and-european-parliament-agree-on-safety-requirements-for-machinery-products/
On 31 October 2022, on the occasion of a joint meeting of the Governments of the Czech Republic and Ukraine, the "Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation in the field of Standardization, Metrology and Conformity Assessment between the Office for Technical Standardization, Metrology and State Testing and the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine" and the related Action Plan for the period 2022-2024 were signed in Kiev. The Memorandum provides a framework for deepening mutual cooperation in the above-mentioned areas in order to contribute to the removal of barriers to mutual trade and strengthen economic relations between the two countries. The Action Plan then specifies specific areas of cooperation over the next two years according to the current needs and interests of both sides.
The text of the two signed documents in Czech, Ukrainian and English is available here.
On 10 August 2022, a delegation from the Republic of Korea visited the ÚNMZ and ČAS in Prague. On behalf of the Czech side, the meeting was led by the Director General of ČAS, Mgr. Zdeněk Veselý, and ÚNMZ was represented by the Director of the International Relations Department, Ing. Jindra Kafkova. The Korean delegation, consisting of representatives of the Korean Standards Association - KSA, Korean Trade and Investment Promotion Agency - KOTRA, Mobi Automotive Czech s.r.o. and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Prague, was led by Mr. Myung-soo Kang, Chairman of KSA.
During the meeting, the two sides confirmed their interest in deepening their cooperation, particularly in the field of standardisation, and in creating a platform for its development in specific areas by concluding a framework memorandum of cooperation. The Korean delegation also presented a candidate for the position of President of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), whose election will take place at the ISO annual meeting on 19-23 September 2022 in Abu Dhabi.
In the second half of 2022, the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU (CZ PRES) chairs two subgroups of the EU Council Working Party on Technical Harmonisation (WG G7), where regulations falling within its direct competence are discussed.
Machinery
Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on machinery products
A proposal for a regulation to replace Directive 2006/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on machinery was published by the European Commission (EC) on 21 April 2021, together with a proposal for a regulation on artificial intelligence. The purpose of the proposal is mainly to create a legal framework for placing safe machinery products on the EU market, to cover new risks associated with new technologies, to guarantee legal certainty by clarifying the scope and definitions, and to clarify the issue of mandatory third-party conformity assessment for certain categories of machinery products. CZ PRES is the fourth Presidency to discuss the proposal. Under the French Presidency (FR PRES), agreement was reached at G7 level on the modifications to the text submitted by the EC. CZ PRES will initiate discussions with the European Parliament (EP) with a view to reaching a political agreement between the Council and the EP and concluding the discussion on the proposal.
Building products
The EC published the proposal on 30 March 2022 as part of the first Circular Economy Package to achieve a well-functioning single market for construction products and contribute to the green and digital transition objectives. In particular, the expected benefits of the new proposal are to strengthen the internal market, to improve standard-setting and harmonisation processes and to increase the sustainability of construction products, for example by promoting the use of used, recycled and remanufactured products and by introducing a mandatory climate impact assessment for products. FR PRES started the discussion of the proposal at the G7 level by presenting some aspects of the proposal. FR PRES will start discussing the individual articles grouped into thematic clusters with the intention of making as much progress as possible in the negotiations.
Furthermore, the representative of the ÚNMZ alternates the chairman Council Working Party on Competitiveness and Growth - Industry (WG G1) during the hearing Proposal for amending Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 on European Standardisation (Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 as regards decisions of the European Standardisation Organisations concerning European standards and European standardisation products), which is under the responsibility of the Office. The aim of the proposal is to ensure that in the case of standard-setting at the request of the EC, voting rights within the relevant European standardisation organisation can be exercised only and exclusively by representatives of the national standardisation organisations of the MS, EEA and candidate countries. To this end, the proposal amends Article 10 of Regulation (EU) 1025/2012 concerning requests for standardisation submitted to the ESOs. FR PRES has initiated the discussion of the proposal and has received a mandate to enter into trialogues with the EP, with the understanding that the Council does not propose any changes to the text submitted by the EC. Following the adoption of the EP position, FR PRES will enter into negotiations with the EP with a view to reaching a political agreement and concluding the negotiations.
More detailed information on the discussion of the above proposals can be obtained at radaeu@unmz.cz.
On 29 June 2022, the 'Blue Guide' to the implementation of the EU Product Rules 2022 was published in the Official Journal of the EU, C 247/1. This is a new version of the Guide, building on previous editions but reflecting changes in legislation (including the adoption of the new Market Surveillance Regulation).
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/CS/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52022XC0629(04)&from=EN
Manual in Czech language for download here:
In order to help EU citizens and the relevant national authorities of the EU Member States to fully exploit the potential of the single European market and to ensure a consistent implementation of the rules on the free movement of goods, the European Commission adopted the following guidelines in March 2021:
- Guidance for economic operators and market surveillance authorities on goods clarifying Article 4 of the new Regulation (EU) 2019/2020 of the European Parliament and of the Council on market surveillance and product complianceare intended to facilitate the implementation of a key provision of the Regulation by economic operators and competent authorities.
- Guidelines for the application of Regulation (EU) 2019/515 of the European Parliament and of the Council on mutual recognition of lawful listed goods to the market of another Member State provide detailed information on various aspects of the Regulation, including the mutual recognition declaration.
- Guide to Articles 34-36 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union provides an overview of the relevant case law of the CJEU on barriers that can affect goods and operators in the Single Market.
Open call for tenders for:
1) one Convenor and one Project leader for the execution of work in CEN/TC 455/WG 1 "Sampling"
2) one Convenor, five Project leaders and two Experts for the execution of work in CEN/TC 455/WG 4 "Other safety parameters"
as part of the European Commission Standardisation Request M/564 to the European Committee for Standardisation referring to the EU fertilising products in support of Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
Tenders to the calls 3.1 and 3.2 should be sent by email to the Secretary of CEN/TC455/WG 1, Mr Stefan Krebs krebs@agentura-cas.cz as soon as possible.
The deadline for all the candidatures is August 23rd, 2020.
Please find more details in the attached files.
Call for tender - BIOSTIMULANTS; Sampling - DEADLINE 2020-08-23
Call for tender - BIOSTIMULANTS; Other safety parameters - DEADLINE 2020-08-23
The Czech Agency for Standardization (ČAS) and the Office for Technical Standardization, Metrology and State Testing (ÚNMZ) announce an open competition for the following positions
1) Convenor and project leader for the project in connection with CEN/TC 455/WG 1 "Sampling"
2) Convenor, project leader (5 positions), expert (2 positions) in connection with CEN/TC 455/WG 4 "Other safety parameters"
under the European Commission's standardisation requirement M/564 to the European Committee for Standardisation in conjunction with Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 laying down rules for the supply of EU fertiliser products on the market.
If you are interested, please contact Ing. Stefan Krebs: krebs@agentura-cas.cz by 23 August 2020 at the latest.
Please see the attached files for details.
Interesting article about the project and activities of CEN/TC 455: http://www.magazin-cas.cz/#flipbook/5/
Call for tender - BIOSTIMULANTS; Sampling - DEADLINE 2020-08-23
Call for tender - BIOSTIMULANTS; Other safety parameters - DEADLINE 2020-08-23
REGULATION (EU) 2020/561 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 23 April 2020 amending Regulation (EU) 2017/745 on medical devices as regards the applicability of certain provisions thereof
OJ L 130, 24.4.2020, p. 18-22
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/CS/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32020R0561&from=CS
The European Commission has published guidelines on its website that complement Commission Recommendation (EU) 2020/403 on conformity assessment, which are in the form of questions and answers and should be updated regularly to take account of any further questions from manufacturers and other interested parties.
https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/40462
The following link provides information Guidance on the applicable legislation for hand cleansers and hand sanitisers (gel, solutions, etc.)
https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/40523/attachments/2/translations/en/renditions/pdf
The following link provides information on conformity assessment procedures for 3D printing and 3D printed products to be used in medical https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/40562/attachments/1/translations/en/renditions/pdf
We also recommend the ESF (European Safety federation) website for your consideration https://www.eu-esf.org/covid-19where you will find a wealth of information on the current PPE situation in relation to COVID-19, available information on problematic certificates and other practical information.
The European Commission and Member States have launched a call for participation in a pan-European hackathon to bring together innovators, partners and investors across Europe to develop innovative solutions for Covid-19. The hackathon will take place from 24-26 April and is structured around categories that require short-term solutions in relation to health, business continuity, remote working and learning, social and political cohesion and digital
funding.
More information about the call can be found here:
You can also get involved directly on the website:
https://euvsvirus.org/
Government Order No.121/2020 Coll. amending the Government Regulation 481/2012 Coll., on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and
electronic devices, with effect from 1 May 2020.
In the Official Journal of the EU - OJ L 95 - of 30 March 2020, it was published:
Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2020/453 of 27 March 2020 on harmonised standards for rail transport products developed in support of Directive 2008/57/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the interoperability of the rail system within the Community: here
In the Official Journal of the EU - OJ L 84 - of 20 March 2020, the following was published
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/424 of 19 March 2020 on the submission of information to the Commission on the non-application of technical specifications for interoperability in accordance with Directive (EU) 2016/797: here
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L:2020:090I:TOC
The publication of these standards is part of the EU's package of measures in response to the spread of coronavirus.
EC press release
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_522
In the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic, and in view of the use of accreditation for authorisation/notification purposes and the procedures for notification/notification of conformity assessment bodies, the MOEW will provide the necessary flexibility in the event that the accreditation certificate evidencing the competence of authorised/notified persons, notified bodies and recognised independent organisations expires. In such a case, the MoEYS will not initiate the administrative procedure immediately and will consider updating the notification in the NANDO system by extending the validity of the notification/notification by 3 months, with the understanding that new supporting documents for the notification/notification including evidence of the updated certificate will be uploaded as soon as possible. Communication with the authorised/notified person, notified body and recognised independent organisation and timely provision of the necessary information to the NMHS is required to implement this procedure.
The plan for inspections of authorised/notified persons, notified bodies and recognised independent organisations has been adapted. Necessary inspections will be carried out by the Office for the Protection of Health and Safety at Work using written documentation and, where appropriate, by means of remote communication using telephone, e-mail, data mailbox and on-line communication software.
Conducting an audit in exceptional circumstances
Annex A Recommendations of the Commission in relation to COVID-19
Annex A1 Corrigendum to the Commission's recommendations in relation to COVID-19
Annex B IAF Statement on COVID-19
Annex D IAF FAQ on the COVID -19 situation
Annex E CIA Measures to COVID-19
Annex F_US FDA Statement Coronavirus Disease 2019_FDA
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L:2020:079I:TOC
In connection with the government resolution on the adoption of a crisis measure, which, among other things, restricted the free movement of persons on the territory of the Czech Republic, which took effect on 16 March 2020 from 0:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. on 24 March, we have taken the following measures within the Office for Technical Standardization, Metrology and State Testing:
- Carrying out the Office's core activities20/1993 Coll., on ensuring the exercise of state administration in the field of technical standardization, metrology and state testing, Act No. 22/1997 Coll., on technical requirements for products and on amending and supplementing certain acts, Act No. 90/2016 Coll., on conformity assessment of specified products when they are supplied to the market and Act No. 505/1990 Coll., on metrology is not interrupted.
- The seat of the Office for Technical Standardization, Metrology and State Testing is temporarily closed to the public. Electronic means of communication may be used for all communications (e.g. submissions).
- The Conference Centre for the Public is suspended until further notice
We will keep you informed of further developments. Thank you for your understanding.
Annex Resolutions_government-CR-restrictions-on-movement-of-persons
Prague, March 10, 2020 - The questions of what changes Brexit will bring in the areas of standardisation, accreditation and certification after the UK leaves the EU were the subject of a seminar organised by the Czech Standards Agency in cooperation with The British Standards Institute (BSI) and the Czech Chamber of Commerce (CCC) last week at the premises of the CCC.
The Czech Republic is one of the first European countries visited by Fergus McReynolds, Director of EU Affairs (Make UK), Daniel Mansfield, Head of Engagement Policy (BSI), and Richard Collin, Head of European and National Policy (BSI), to clarify BSI's position in the European standards organisations CEN (European Committee for Standardisation) and CENELEC (European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation) after the transition period, to discuss the issues of the validity and introduction of European standards into the UK system, the future of CE marking in the UK market and the regulation of trade relations from 1 January 2011. January 2021.
The seminar was opened by Ing. Vladimír Dlouhý, CSc., President of the Chamber of Commerce of the Czech Republic, and Mgr. Zdeněk Veselý, Director of the Czech Agency for Standardization. The morning programme in the form of a lecture by representatives of BSI was devoted to the main thematic points, while the afternoon part was reserved for specific questions from seminar participants from various areas of Czech industry and government.
"A number of questions were answered during the seminar and the format of the event was of great benefit to the parties involved. Awareness in this area is very important for the Czech market, talks on the future relationship between the EU and the UK are still in progress, so we will monitor further developments and work with our colleagues from BSI to prepare a follow-up seminar, which we plan to hold in early 2021," says Zdenka Slaná, Director of the Standardisation Department, Czech Standards Agency.
BSI is the oldest national standards body in the world. It was founded in the early 20th century by Sir John Wolfe-Barry, under the name of the Engineering Standards Committee. The first meeting of the steering committee of the new organisation was held on the day Queen Victoria died, and it
22 January 1901, and the first technical standard issued was for steel tramway sections. There are currently approximately 40,000 technical standards in force in the UK and around 2,500 new or revised standards are issued each year. Over 12,000 members of national technical committees are involved in this process. BSI's main activities are the development, publication and sale of technical standards, systems certification, product certification and training, systems and product certification of medical devices, consultancy and supply chain solutions.
The Economic Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic is currently discussing a draft amendment to Act No. 22/1997 Coll., on Technical Requirements for Products and Act No. 90/2016 Coll., on Conformity Assessment of Specified Products. The aim of the draft is to adapt to new EU regulations in the field of medical devices and to ensure sponsored access to Czech technical standards.
Furthermore, an amendment to Act No. 505/1990 Coll., on Metrology, was submitted to the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic on 18 February. The amendment transposes EU Commission Directive 2019/1258 and modifies the definition of SI base units in accordance with the conclusions of the 26th session of the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM).
The draft of the new Metrology Act, which will replace the existing Act No. 505/1990 Coll., is in the state of settlement of comments.
Furthermore, an amendment to Government Regulation No. 86/2011 Coll., on technical requirements for toys, is currently being prepared. This amendment will transpose EU Commission Directives 2019/1922 and 2019/1929, which regulate the permitted content of chemicals (aluminium and formaldehyde) in toys.
Information
Information on the DEVELOPERS
For the purpose of meeting the requirements of NV No. 163/2002 Coll. as amended by NV No. 215/2016 Coll. wall-mounted surface-mounted switchboards and wall-mounted recessed switchboards, as specified in 10/14 (b) 163/2002 Coll., means switchboards according to standards ČSN EN 61439-2, ČSN EN 61439-3 and ČSN EN 61439-5. Wall-mounted surface-mounted switchboards and wall-mounted recessed switchboards, referred to in 10/14 a) 163/2002 Coll., means switchboards in accordance with standards ČSN EN 61439-2, ČSN EN 61439-3 and ČSN EN 61439-5, the removal or replacement of which is construction work within the meaning of Section 1(1)(c) of NV No.163/2002 Coll.
In accordance with Section 1(2) of NV No. 163/2002 Coll., switchboards for which all the relevant essential requirements are included in the essential requirements for conformity assessment according to a separate legal regulation (NV No. 117/2016 Coll., NV No. 118/2016 Coll.), including products intended as part of these products, are not specified products.
For switchboards falling under 10/14(a), the corresponding essential requirements are:
ZP 4 - Safety and accessibility in use
ZP 7 - Sustainable use of natural resources (voluntary certification)
Safety and accessibility in use is assessed within the framework of the EU conformity assessment in accordance with NV No. 117/2016 Coll. and NV No. 118/2016 Coll.
The assessment of compliance with the requirement for sustainable use of natural resources is voluntary.
If the manufacturer (distributor, importer, authorised representative) does not require an assessment of compliance with ZP 7, a declaration of conformity according to NV No. 163/2002 Coll. is not issued, but only an EU declaration of conformity according to NV No. 117/2016 Coll. and NV No. 118/2016 Coll.
For switchboards falling under 10/14(b), the corresponding essential requirements are:
ZP 2 - Fire safety
ZP 4 - Safety and accessibility in use
ZP 7 - Sustainable use of natural resources (voluntary certification)
Safety and accessibility in use is assessed within the framework of the EU conformity assessment in accordance with NV No. 117/2016 Coll. and NV No. 118/2016 Coll.
The assessment of compliance with the requirement for sustainable use of natural resources is voluntary.
In the case of switchboards falling under item 10/14 (b), an EU declaration of conformity is issued in accordance with NV No. 117/2016 Coll. and NV No. 118/2016 Coll. (in relation to ZP 4) and a declaration of conformity in accordance with NV No. 163/2002 Coll. (in relation to ZP 2 and ZP 7).