Article 69U.K.Independence of the technical services
1.A technical service, including its personnel, shall be independent and shall carry out the activities for which it has been designated with the highest degree of professional integrity and the requisite technical competence in the specific field in which it operates and shall be free from all pressures and inducements, particularly financial, that might influence its judgment or the results of its assessment activities, in particular such pressures or inducements emanating from persons or groups of persons with an interest in the results of those activities.
2.Technical services shall be third-party organisation or body that is not involved in the process of the design, manufacturing, supply or maintenance of the vehicle, system, component or separate technical unit that it assesses, tests or inspects.
An organisation or body that belongs to a trade association or to a professional federation representing undertakings that are involved in the design, manufacturing, supply or maintenance of the vehicles, systems, components or separate technical units that it assesses, tests or inspects, may be considered as fulfilling the requirements of the first subparagraph, provided that its independence and the absence of any conflict of interest are demonstrated to the [F1approval authority].
3.A technical service, its top-level management and the personnel responsible for carrying out the activities for which they are designated in accordance with Article 68(1) shall not design, manufacture, supply, or maintain the vehicles, systems, components or separate technical units that they assess, nor represent parties engaged in those activities. This shall not preclude the use of those vehicles, systems, components or separate technical units that are necessary for the operation of the technical service or the use of such vehicles, systems, components or separate technical units for personal purposes.
4.A technical service shall ensure that the activities of its subsidiaries or subcontractors do not affect the confidentiality, objectivity or impartiality of the categories of activities for which it has been designated.
5.The personnel of a technical service shall observe professional secrecy with regard to all information obtained in carrying out their tasks under this Regulation, except in relation to the [F2approval] authority and, where relevant, to the national accreditation body, or where required by F3... law.
Textual Amendments
F1Words in Art. 69(2) substituted (31.12.2022 at 11.00 p.m.) by The Road Vehicles and Non-Road Mobile Machinery (Type-Approval) (Amendment and Transitional Provisions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/1273), regs. 1(2), 37(3)(a)
F2Word in Art. 69(5) substituted (31.12.2022 at 11.00 p.m.) by The Road Vehicles and Non-Road Mobile Machinery (Type-Approval) (Amendment and Transitional Provisions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/1273), regs. 1(2), 37(3)(b)(i)
F3Words in Art. 69(5) omitted (31.12.2022 at 11.00 p.m.) by virtue of The Road Vehicles and Non-Road Mobile Machinery (Type-Approval) (Amendment and Transitional Provisions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/1273), regs. 1(2), 37(3)(b)(ii)