Certification

ETSI does not certify equipment, nor does it keep records of equipment that is compliant to its standards. Some organizations use ETSI standards as the basis for certification schemes. This can be done for commercial reasons or, in some countries outside the European Union, for compliance with National regulations.

Type approval for radio equipment and telecommunication terminal equipment is no longer required in any European Union country. Manufacturers may self-certify against the relevant Harmonized Standard, and make an EU Declaration of Conformity. The list of standards that can be used for this purpose is published in the Official Journal of the European Union. This list is also published on the New Approach web site. For a detailed example, see the RTTE Directive.

Some countries outside the European Union require certification of products before they can be sold or taken into service in their territories. Many National governments require equipment to be built according to specific standards which they recognize. They may recognize specific ETSI standards; they may make reference to the Official Journal (see above). National governments may require an example of the equipment to be tested, either in a government laboratory or they may accept a test report from an accredited laboratory. Such governments will usually issue a type-approval certificate and maintain a register of equipment that is authorized to be sold in their market. As the regulations will differ from one country to another, manufacturers intending to sell into such markets should contact the National government concerned.

Many commercial organizations offer certification schemes, frequently based on ETSI standards. These are usually put in place to encourage a brand image of quality and interoperability. Normally the organization will hold a registered logo which will be used on equipment or packaging provided that it is compliant with specified standards and, in certain cases, that the manufacturer can demonstrate that certain test specifications have been complied with. In some cases, ETSI acts as a neutral custodian for such test suites, see Multimedia Home Platform (MHP) test suites, although ETSI neither carries out testing, nor gives the right to use specific logos or registered marks.