The Medical Devices Regulations 2002

[F1 Designated standard E+W+S

3A.— (1)  In Parts II, III and IV of these Regulations, a “designated standard” means—

(a) a technical specification which is—

(i) adopted by a recognised standardisation body [F2 or an international standardising body], for repeated or continuous application with which compliance is not compulsory; and

(ii) designated by the Secretary of State by publishing a reference to the standard and maintaining that publication in a manner the Secretary of State considers appropriate; or

(b) a monograph of the European Pharmacopoeia (in particular on surgical sutures and on the interaction between medicinal products and materials used in devices containing medicinal products) which has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1), a “technical specification” means a document which prescribes technical requirements to be fulfilled by a device, process, service or system (“the product”) and which lays down—

(a) the characteristics required of a product, including levels of quality, performance, interoperability, environmental protection, health and safety and dimensions;

(b) the requirements applicable to the product as regards the name under which the product is sold, terminology, symbols, testing and test methods, packaging, marking or labelling and conformity assessment procedures; and

(c) the production methods and processes relating to the product, where these have an effect on its characteristics.

(3) For the purposes of this regulation a “recognised standardisation body” means any one of the following organisations—

(a) the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN);

(b) the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CENELEC);

(c) the British Standards Institute (BSI).

[F3 (3A) In this regulation “international standardising body” has the same meaning as it has for the purposes of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade, part of Annex 1A to the agreement establishing the World Trade Organisation signed at Marrakesh on 15 April 1994 (as modified from time to time).]

(4) When considering whether the manner of publication of a reference is appropriate in accordance with paragraph (1)(b), the Secretary of State must have regard to whether the publication will draw the standard to the attention of any person who may have an interest in the standard.

(5) Before publishing the reference to a standard in relation to a technical specification which has been adopted by BSI, the Secretary of State must have regard to whether the technical specification is consistent with [F4 such] technical specifications adopted by the other recognised standardisation bodies [F5 or by international standardising bodies as the Secretary of State considers to be relevant.]

(6) The Secretary of State may remove from publication the reference to a standard which has been published in accordance with paragraph (1)(b).

(7) Where the Secretary of State removes the reference to a standard from publication, that standard is no longer a designated standard.

(8)  In this regulation—

(a) a reference to a “device” is a reference to a medical device or its accessory or an in vitro diagnostic medical device or its accessory to which these Regulations apply;

(b) a reference to “the European Pharmacopoeia” is a reference to the European Pharmacopoeia adopted in accordance with the Convention on the Elaboration of a European Pharmacopoeia.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Regs. 3A, 3B inserted (E.W.S.) (31.12.2020) by The Medical Devices (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/791), regs. 1(1), 3(6) (as amended by S.I. 2019/1385, reg. 1, Sch. 2 para. 2 and S.I. 2020/1478, regs. 1(2)(3), 4(2), Sch. 2 paras. 2, 8); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)

F2 Words in reg. 3A(1)(a)(i) inserted (31.12.2020) by European Union (Future Relationship) Act 2020 (c. 29), s. 40(7), Sch. 4 para. 1(a); S.I. 2020/1662, reg. 2(ee)

F3 Reg. 3A(3A) inserted (31.12.2020) by European Union (Future Relationship) Act 2020 (c. 29), s. 40(7), Sch. 4 para. 1(b); S.I. 2020/1662, reg. 2(ee)

F4 Word in reg. 3A(5) inserted (31.12.2020) by European Union (Future Relationship) Act 2020 (c. 29), s. 40(7), Sch. 4 para. 1(c)(i); S.I. 2020/1662, reg. 2(ee)

F5 Words in reg. 3A(5) inserted (31.12.2020) by European Union (Future Relationship) Act 2020 (c. 29), s. 40(7), Sch. 4 para. 1(c)(ii); S.I. 2020/1662, reg. 2(ee)