Product contact point and mutual recognition

The principle of mutual recognition is a key aspect of the free movement of goods in the European Union. This principle offers enterprises opportunities to enter new markets in European countries without the need to change their products. Mutual recognition facilitates cross-border trade for Estonian enterprises exporting products to the European Union, especially for items with partially or non-fully harmonised requirements, such as furniture, fertilisers, and certain construction products.

The domestic requirements for products planned by the member states, as well as those that have already entered into force, are located in the European Commission’s Technical Regulations Information System (TRIS). 

Regulation 2019/515 has been adopted in the European Union to apply the principle of mutual recognition. This regulation stipulates the procedure for the evaluation of goods by the competent authority. The competent authority is obliged to immediately contact the enterprise and carry out an evaluation of the goods, if the authority of a member state has doubts about the goods, which, according to the enterprise's claim, are legally marketed in another member state. The regulation sets out the procedure that the competent authorities of the member states must follow when assessing whether goods legally marketed in another Member State can be marketed in their territory on the basis of the principle of mutual recognition. The administrative decision made regarding the goods during the evaluation of the goods is made available to the enterprise, the Commission, and other member states within 20 working days. The Information and Communication System on Market Surveillance (ICSMS) is used to transmit information.

For the purpose of mutual recognition, the enterprise can prepare a voluntary declaration on the legal marketing of the goods to demonstrate to the competent authorities of the destination member state that these goods or goods of the same type can be legally marketed in another member state. The declaration form is available here. 
 

Estonian competent authorities

 
Contacts of the competent authorities in Estonia, links to their websites, and some products under their competence:

• Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Administration, phone (+372) 6672000, e-mail: [email protected]
  Construction, electrical equipment, gas equipment, pressure equipment, explosives, pyrotechnics, metrology, home security, radio equipment, consumer products, and precious metals
• Health Board, phone (+372) 7943500, e-mail: [email protected]
  Medical devices, cosmetics, tobacco
• Environmental Board, phone (+372) 6625999, e-mail: [email protected]
  Products that may endanger the environment
• Transport Administration, phone (+372) 6201200, e-mail: [email protected]
  Watercraft, vehicles
• Agency of Medicines, phone (+372) 7374140, e-mail: [email protected]
  Medications
• Agriculture and Food Board, phone (+372) 6051710, e-mail: [email protected]
  Fertilisers, food

If an enterprise wishes to challenge a decision made by a competent authority on the basis of European Union Regulation 2019/515, it may submit an appeal to the competent authority that made the decision in accordance with the appeal reference provided in the administrative ruling.

The enterprise has the opportunity to address the SOLVIT network as well.

• Through the SOLVIT, citizens and enterprises of the European Union can resolve out-of-court problems that arise when the authorities of another member state do not correctly apply the legislation of the European Union's internal market.
• SOLVIT's mission is to swiftly uncover resolutions within a 10-week timeframe, commencing from the moment the SOLVIT Centre assumes responsibility for your issue in the country where it originated. If the issue proves insurmountable through SOLVIT, the SOLVIT Centre reserves the option, as stipulated in Article 8 of the Regulation on Mutual Recognition, to seek guidance from the European Commission. In this case, the term is extended by 45 days.

The complaint can be submitted electronically or in free form by post or e-mail together with the relevant documents.

The service is offered in all member states of the European Union and in Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein.
 

Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority
Phone: 625 6489, 639 7617
E-mail: [email protected]
 
If the problem cannot be solved through the above-mentioned options, a complaint can be submitted to the court against the competent authority that made the decision.