EAC marking | All you need to know ✅

EAC Meaning: what is EAC marking?

The EAC mark is equivalent to the CE mark in the Eurasian Economic Union. The EAC logo can be found on the packaging or labelling of almost every product sold in Russia and, if we look closely, on many of the clothes we buy in large clothes shops, on household appliances, and on many products in daily use.

Every time we see an EAC logo, we know that the product bearing it complies with the CUTR Technical Regulations, which constitute the so-called EAC, or Eurasian Union Community, regulations. This set of regulations, most of which came into force between 2011 and 2013, represents the culmination of the process of Community integration and regulatory harmonization between Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia.

Compliance with EAC regulations is achieved after an assessment process involving different parties, and can never be based on a manufacturer’s self-certification.

The EAC marking must be carried out according to very precise rules:

1. The EAC logo must have a minimum size (5 mm)
2. The letters can be white with a black background or black with a white background, but always in a specific font.
3. The EAC logo must be applied to the label or container of each product, as well as on the packaging.
4. Marking must be completed before arrival at Customs.

The legal basis of EAC marking: EAC Declaration and Certificate of Conformity and State Registration

There are only three documents that authorize EAC marking:

EAC Declaration of Conformity
EAC Certificate of Conformity
State Registration Certificate

All three contemplate very different procedures for their obtention: from procedures based on documentation for certain types of EAC Declarations of Conformity, to certifications that involve testing in official Russian laboratories, as well as periodic inspections at the manufacturer’s facilities.

The methodology of control, analysis, and testing depends on the classification of the product, the type of production (serial or batch) and the scope of its application. All these variables are summarized in the so-called certification schemes.

Certification Assessment Schemes

An EAC Declaration of Conformity can be issued based on one of the following schemes:

1D for mass production. Conformity is determined on the basis of documentation (documentation and tests provided by the manufacturer) or through testing in non-accredited laboratories.
2D as with 1D, but for batch production
3D for mass production. Conformity is determined through testing in accredited laboratories.
4D as with 3D, but for batch production
5D for hazardous products, or products that cannot be tested until their final installation. A sample (“type”) is tested in an accredited laboratory.
6D and 7D for very, or extremely, dangerous products or working environments. They almost always involve an inspection at the manufacturer’s premises.

In practice, 1D and 3D schemes account for more than 90% of the EAC Declarations of Conformity issued daily.

The certification schemes of the EAC Certificates of Conformity (1C, 2C, 3C etc.) replicate the same procedures indicated above, but with a substantial difference: laboratory tests are always indispensable. There is also, in the case of mass production, the obligation to pass an audit/inspection on an annual basis.

The central role of the Applicant

Regardless of the certification scheme, only companies legally established in one of the 5 countries of the Eurasian Union can be holders of a Declaration or Certificate. This is possibly the main difference from the previous GOST regulation in which foreign companies could be an “applicant” (заявитель in Russian).

In the EAC regulation, the applicant can only be:

• The Eurasian subsidiary of the exporting company, or
• a Eurasian importer, or
• a certification company, also located in Russia or any other country of the Eurasian Union

Important consequences arise from the applicant’s profile: only the applicant can use a Declaration or a Certificate in the customs clearance. This means that if the Russian importer is the applicant, then the certification can be used only by them, and not by other importers or distributors. Without formally enjoying an exclusivity agreement, the importer-applicant still ends up having a clear advantage in their business relationships.

Despite the fact that a Russian importer often offers its availability to carry out certification, many exporting SMEs choose to hire a certification company. This solution offers clear commercial and legal advantages:

1. It maintains full control over certification, as it does not give ownership of the document to the importer
2. It maintains total control over the intellectual property of the products by preventing confidential information from passing through the importers
3. It makes it easier to start new commercial collaborations, as the issue is already resolved
4. In the case of subsequent complaints about the conformity of the products, you can rely on the expertise of a company that is used to dealing with public administration
5. It is an extremely efficient and fast solution in the case of complex certifications, for the same reason mentioned in the previous point.

Validity and loss of validity of the EAC mark

It is not enough to have completed a certification procedure in order to carry out the EAC marking. The EAC Declaration of Conformity, the EAC Certificate of Conformity, or the State Registration that represent the legal basis for the EAC marking need to still be in force when the export is carried out.

Besides reaching its natural expiration (one, three, or five years), a document can cease to be in force for different reasons: the loss or suspension of the accreditation of one of the parties involved, voluntary revocation by the applicant, disputes with the relevant bodies, etc.

The procedure by which you can find out the status of a Declaration,  Certificate or State Registration, is very straightforward, and is achieved through accessing the official Russian websites in the corresponding sections:

EAC Declarations of Conformity
EAC Certificates of Conformity
State Registration (link may vary)

You simply need to enter the document number or company name in the corresponding field, and then carry out the search. After accessing the file, the word ДЕЙСТВУЕТ on the upper right part of the screen confirms the validity.

We always provide our customers with direct links to their Declarations and recommend that they share them with potential importers every time they start a business relationship. The simple PDF of the document actually provides less information than the links themselves.

The consequences of not carrying out EAC marking

EAC marking is not optional.

With the exception of some products to which the EAC (and GOST) regulations do not apply, and which have to prove their status through an Exemption Letter, all goods circulating within the Eurasian Economic Union have to be correctly marked.

An oversight or mistake may result in an administrative sanction or even the seizure and confiscation of the goods.

Download the EAC logos

You can download the EAC logos here:

White letters without a background (.png file)
Black letters without a background (.png file)
White letters with a black background (.jpg file)
Black letters with a white background (.jpg file)