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Obligatory and voluntary certification. Real-world example

The following sample may be not applicable for USA and a few other countries.

You often ask us what a difference between voluntary and obligatory certification in Russia.
Is it correct that the "voluntary" sometimes means "obligatory"?
Yes, it's true. Have a look at following samples to catch it clear...

passport   driving-licence

Regular passport — obligatory document

In fact, you can do nothing without regular passport. You cannot book tickets, provide bank orders, get medicine insurance and etc. You have no choice at all.

 

Driver license — voluntary document

You can live your life without driver license, if you like to get to your friends, shops and office on foot, bus, train or taxi. But If you try to drive a car on public road, driver license becomes obligatory for you, but your choice is always voluntary.

eac-certificate   fac-certificate

Technical regulation law

National Technical regulation law specifies that only safety requirements can be the object of obligatory approvals.
It means that Custom Union LVE, EMC, MD and all other Technical Regulations (TR) are obligatory.  EMC requirements are determined as part of electromagnetic safety. So CU TR certificate with EAC mark is obligatory always and everywhere. 

Therefore all other approvals (about 300 in Russia, like telecom = FAC certificate or declaration) cannot be obligatory but voluntary only.

In reality it means:

  • no telecom obligatory certification mark,
  • no penalty if telecom equipment is not approved,
  • no limitation to import, clear customs and sale without telecom approval,

never, but ... >>> have a look at right side >>>

 

Telecom law

Telecom law specifies if any kind of equipment, or soft, or service is used on Common Telecom Network
(even power supply, battery, optic cords, billing soft or any kind of service or equipment...) it should be approved in Telecom system by Federal Agency of Communications (FAC).

If equipment is not approved, it means:

  • telecom provider cannot get telecom licence for commercial activity,
  • end users cannot get technical support if they use non-approved equipment,
  • every distributor and saler prefers to sale telecom equipment or goods approved by FAC.

But manufacturer, dealer, operator or end-user always has its choice to approve and register telecom equipment in FAC voluntary or not to do it.