E/e-mark certification is crucial in the European market for vehicles and their components. With the development of the European automobile industry and the emphasis on traffic safety and environmental protection, the certification system has gradually been established and improved. The aim is to ensure that vehicles and related components entering the EU market comply with specific technical standards and regulatory requirements. Only products with E/e-mark certification are allowed to be sold and used in the European market, which has become an important threshold for companies to enter the EU market.

2. What is CoP? Why is it important?

CoP stands for Conformity of Production, which is the core link of E/e-mark certification. The purpose is to ensure that each batch of products produced by the enterprise is consistent with the samples submitted at the time of certification and meets regulatory standards. Even if the sample test is qualified, if the subsequent production is inconsistent, the Ministry of Transportation may revoke the certificate or even face the risk of market recall.

Significance:

1. Ensure product life cycle compliance;

2. Maintain fair competition in the EU market;

3. Avoid legal risks and economic losses caused by quality problems.

EU CoP certification process

3. Classification and inspection content of CoP production consistency

(1) Initial inspection

The first comprehensive evaluation of CoP production conformity checks at the certification application stage. Check the qualifications of the enterprise and check whether the enterprise has quality management system documents that meet the certification requirements; In terms of document and record control, check whether the company's document management process and the preservation of production-related records are standardized; Update of certification standards to ensure that enterprises follow up and adjust production in a timely manner to meet the requirements of the new European certification standards; There is also a very important CoP control plan to ensure that the product is produced in batches in line with the certified samples.

(2) Supervision and inspection

Supervision and inspection have a certain periodicity, and the cycle varies from one to three years for each Ministry of Transport, such as one to three years for E5 Sweden, one year for E9 Spain, and two years for E57 San Marino. In the supervision and inspection, the main inspection content includes verifying whether the enterprise has changed the production process and corresponding management measures after the initial inspection, whether the relevant laws and regulations and certification technical requirements are correctly implemented, and whether the product quality control status is continuous and stable.

The eight core contents of the COP inspection: 1. Quality management system: whether it has valid ISO 9001 / IATF 16949 certificates and system documents; 2. Document and record control: the integrity of technical documents and production records; 3. Conformity control plan: how to ensure that the production is consistent with the certified sample; 4. Non-conforming product management: the treatment process of defective products; 5. Testing equipment and capabilities: calibration and maintenance of production and testing equipment; 6. Standard update tracking: whether to adapt to the new requirements of ECE regulations in a timely manner; 7. Product test report: Provide corresponding test report during supervision and inspection according to the CoP test plan; 8. Other documents: such as raw material procurement records, finished product inspection reports, etc.

Is holding a valid ISO 9001 / IATF 16949 certificate exempt from COP audits?

Revision 3 Schedule 1 - Conformity of production in accordance with the EU Framework Regulation Directive: 2018/858 (EU), Annex IV conformityof production procedures Initial assessment and the 1958 Agreement of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe The procedures state that when a manufacturer has a valid ISO 9001 / IATF 16949 certificate, the issuing authority (Ministry of Transport of EU member states or UNCEC State Parties), may adopt a quality system certificate for simplified audits, but it is not a sufficient condition. For this item, the management standards of different certification agencies (relevant national Ministry of Communications) are different.

1. Countries with mandatory on-site audits (even with ISO 9001 / IATF 16949 certificate)

Some member states, such as Germany (E1), require on-site inspections during initial audits, even if the company already holds a valid ISO 9001 / IATF 16949 certificate. This requirement stems from its strict control of production consistency, which requires direct verification of the on-site operation of production equipment, processes and quality management systems.