Importer verification is a release gate for EU market entry. The importer should collect and check the required evidence before the product is commercially placed on the market, document the result and escalate missing or inconsistent information rather than treating it as an administrative issue after sale.
Confirm That Article 19 Applies
First confirm that the organisation is the CRA importer: an EU-established person placing on the market a product that bears the name or trademark of a person established outside the Union.
Check the Appropriate Conformity Assessment
Article 19 requires the importer to ensure that the appropriate conformity assessment procedure under Article 32 has been carried out by the manufacturer.
Check That Technical Documentation Exists
The importer must ensure that the manufacturer has drawn up the technical documentation. The importer does not need to reproduce the manufacturer's engineering file, but missing documentation is a market-access problem.
Check CE Marking
Verify that the product bears the CE marking required by Article 30. The marking should be checked in the context of the product and conformity evidence rather than treated as sufficient evidence on its own.
Check the EU Declaration of Conformity
The product must be accompanied by the EU declaration of conformity referred to in Article 13(20). Importer checks should ensure the declaration corresponds to the product and manufacturer being imported.
Check Annex II User Information
The product must be accompanied by the required information and instructions in a language that can be easily understood by users and market surveillance authorities in the relevant market.
Check Manufacturer Identification and Support Information
Article 19 also requires the importer to verify specified Article 13 obligations, including manufacturer identification and support-period information. Missing identity or support information should block release until corrected.
Add Importer Identification
The importer must indicate its name, registered trade name or trademark, postal address, email or other digital contact and, where applicable, website. The information must be accessible and not obscure manufacturer information or required safety information.
Stop If There Is Reason to Believe the Product Is Non-Compliant
Where the importer considers or has reason to believe the product or manufacturer processes are not in conformity with Annex I, it must not place the product on the market until conformity is restored.
Official sources
Read the full legal text and Commission material for precise wording, qualifications and updates.