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[April 2009]
Manufacturers to Benefit from New Agreement
Building product manufacturers on either side of the Irish Sea could soon be obtaining Agrément Certificates for the UK and the Republic of Ireland at a much lower cost and more quickly than has been possible up until now.
Manufacturers can do so by taking advantage of the new agreement concluded between the British Board of Agrément (BBA) and the National Standards Authority of Ireland Agrément (NSAI) which will allow them to obtain an Agrément certificate for each country. Agrément Certificates are an accepted means of showing fitness for purpose of construction products and systems in both the UK and Ireland.
Previously, the mechanism for translating a BBA Certificate into an NSAI Certificate and vice versa has involved significant delays due to duplication of some parts of the assessments. Therefore, the BBA and the NSAI have agreed to work in close unison to ensure mutual recognition of the test work and acceptance of the factory audits conducted by each other.
This will allow the clients to obtain the second Certificate at a reduction of 30% on individual applications to both bodies. On completion of testing, the client will exchange contracts with the BBA and NSAI, and the Agrément Certificates will be issued almost simultaneously.
“This is a major benefit for manufacturers,” said BBA Chief Executive Greg Cooper. “The BBA and IAB speak the same language and we want to bring the spirit of cooperation that has existed between us for many years to its next stage by helping our manufacturer clients who operate here and in the Republic to obtain the necessary approvals at a much reduced cost.”
ENDS