Marine Equipment Directive(MED)
The following is a brief introduction to the tests/inspections, auditing and certification services Nippon Kaiji Kyokai may offer in cooperation with its Piraeus Office (Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (Greece) S. A., recognized by the Government of the Hellenic Republic as Notified Body) (hereinafter referred to as the “Notified Body”), under the requirements of Directive 2014/90/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on marine equipment.
※Notified Body 2976 is established by Piraeus Office (Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (Greece) S.A.) to start MED approval service on 1 February 2024.
What is the MED?
Various EU Directives are published in various fields with the aim to remove barriers to allow free circulation of goods within the European Union.
Among the EU Directives is Directive 2014/90/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on marine equipment (hereinafter referred to as the “MED”). Materials and equipment, covered by this MED and intended to be used on board ships and which are found in compliance with the requirements of the MED, should be affixed with the “Wheel Mark” together with the unique ID number of the certifying Notified Body and should be accompanied by an EC Declaration of Conformity issued by the respective manufacturers.
Council Directive 96/98/EC on marine equipment was fully revised, and the current MED Directive 2014/90/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on marine equipment was enforced from 18 September 2016.
The main revised points are as follows:
<Purpose of revision>
Rules | Title | Purpose |
Article 11 | Electronic tag | Related rules have been established which allow the use of electronic tags as a supplement to, or as a replacement of the wheel mark in the future. However, related technical standards etc. have NOT yet been established. |
Article 13 | Authorised representative | A rule requiring manufacturers that are not located in the territory of at least one Member EU State to appoint an authorised representative who shall keep the EU declaration of conformity and the technical documentation at the disposal of national surveillance authorities for at least 10 years. |
Article 16 | EU declaration of conformity | When marine equipment is placed on board an EU ship, a copy of the EU declaration of conformity covering the equipment concerned shall be provided to the ship, and shall be kept on board until said equipment is removed from the ship. In addition, a copy of the EU declaration of conformity shall be provided to the notified body or to the bodies which carried out the relevant conformity assessment procedures. |
Annex II | Module B/G | The technical documentation submitted together with EC Type-Examination (module B) or Unit Verification (module G) application(s) shall make it possible to assess the conformity of marine equipment with the applicable requirements of the international instruments and shall include an adequate analysis and assessment of the risk(s). |
Countries where the MED is applicable
Materials and equipment to be installed on board ships registered in the EU countries and EFTA countries shall meet the requirements of the MED.
The EU countries are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, Croatia, and the EFTA countries are Norway and Iceland.
Materials and equipment to which the MED is applicable
Materials and equipment to which the MED shall apply are life-saving appliances, marine pollution prevention equipment, fire protection constructions, navigation equipment, radio installations, and navigation lights required under the COLREG. The materials and equipment, together with their testing standards, are listed on the MED Item List attached to the MED. This list will be frequently updated.
(Refer to the current MED Item List)
Tests/inspections, auditing and certification services of ClassNK
At the request of manufacturers, the Notified Body can in cooperation with Material and Equipment Department and Certification Department of Nippon Kaiji Kyokai, undertake the tests/inspections and auditing for materials and equipment. The materials and equipment should be affixed with the “Wheel Mark” and shipped together with the Declaration of Conformity only after completion of the tests/inspections and auditing.
Any inquiries
For further information and/or for any inquiries, please contact the following locations:
Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (Greece) S. A.
Notified Body
Tel: +30-210-483-2404Fax: +30-210-483-2405
e-mail: medgr@classnk.or.jp or pr@classnk.or.jp
Nippon Kaiji Kyokai
Materials and Equipment Department
Tel: +81-3-5226-2020Fax: +81-3-5226-2057
e-mail: eqd@classnk.or.jp
Nippon Kaiji Kyokai
Certification Department
Tel : +81-3-5226-2178Fax: +81-3-5226-2179
e-mail: qad@classnk.or.jp