VOC & CBCA
 

Governments around the world face a major challenge: the global economy is growing rapidly, and a thriving international trade is an ever-present priority. At the same time, public awareness of health risks and consumer and environmental protection is increasing, forcing politicians to take innovative and reassuring measures. As a result, many countries currently have a legal framework for the safe and environmentally friendly import of foreign products. In order to fully comply with these regulations, a conformity assessment by an independent external body, such as Bureau Veritas, is usually required. For this reason, we have established our VOC and CBCA programmes.

• Product: Certificate of Conformity (COC)
• Purpose: To protect consumers from dangerous, substandard or counterfeit goods

Bureau Veritas' VOC and CBCA services are two names used for this service. It includes the assessment of the conformity of goods in accordance with nationally applicable standards or internationally recognised equivalents. The purpose of our programs is not only to ensure product quality and safety for the final consumer, but also to make importers and exporters aware of the relevance of compliance and all associated benefits.

The result of a successfully completed VOC procedure is a Certificate of Conformity (COC). The COC is required when clearing a shipment in the country of destination.

The VOC / CBCA process consists of 4 steps:

1. APPLICATION

The exporter submits a certification application to Verigates, to a local Bureau Veritas contact person.

2. DIFFERENT ROUTES TO A COC

For ad hoc or first shipments, exporters go through the basic shipping process, i.e. route A. This consists of two parts:

• Step 1: Documentary control. This requires documentary evidence to demonstrate compliance with the required standards. One possibility is that the goods have been tested in an approved laboratory, and that the test results are sent.
• Step 2: Physical inspection. The consignment will be subjected to a physical inspection to ensure that the export documents correspond to the products, and that no deviations are found.

After all checks have been carried out to their satisfaction, a Certificate of Conformity (COC) is issued. If there are regular shipments to the same country, you can choose Registration (route B) or License (route C). The consignments are only inspected on a random basis, physically.

Which route suits you best?

Route A: Any commodity, any dealer

Route B: Goods already registered by Bureau Veritas

Route C: Goods for which a license has already been granted by Bureau Veritas

3. DOCUMENTARY CHECKS AND INSPECTIONS

This involves verification of the conformity documents provided in order to ensure compliance with the regulations of the country of destination. Additional laboratory tests/analyses on samples may be required. A physical inspection of the goods is carried out (under Route A or randomly under Route B or C).

4. CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMITY

Bureau Veritas checks the inspection report for consistency with the available documents. If the result is satisfactory, a (digital) certificate of conformity will be issued. Exporters are advised not to ship their goods before the process is complete.

BENEFITS OF A CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMITY (COC)

• Protect consumers from dangerous, substandard or counterfeit products
• Give the buyer a guarantee that the goods ordered are actually the goods shipped
• Facilitated trade transactions by recognising existing certificates of conformity in order to avoid unnecessary additional tests
• In accordance with the recommendations of the World Trade Organisation's Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement
• Protects the domestic industry from unfair competition from poor quality imports
• Improve the environment
• Improve export quality
• More consumer and environmental protection by compliance with national and international standards

BUREAU VERITAS' GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS

• Algeria
• Central African Republic
• Côte d'Ivoire
• Chad
• DR Congo
• Egypt
• Gabon
• Ghana
• Indonesia
• Iraq
• Kenya
• Kuwait
• Lebanon
• Liberia
• Libya
• Mali
• Morocco
• Nigeria - SONCAP
• Saudi Arabia
• Tanzania / Zanzibar
• Zimbabwe

FAQ - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• WHO BEARS THE COSTS FOR A VOC/CBCA CERTIFICATION?

In most cases, the exporter bears the costs. Depending on the country of destination, this may be the importer.

• ARE ALL GOODS SUBJECT TO MANDATORY INSPECTION?

No, depending on the country of destination, some goods can be banned altogether, and others are exempted from inspection.

• WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE WITH NORMAL PRODUCT CERTIFICATION?

VOC and CBCA are limited to checking the conformity of goods per consignment to a particular country. Product certification is usually for the product itself, without geographical limitation, and is based on inspections and possibly factory audits.

Also visit our Verigates page for the list of countries for which VOC and CBCA certification is currently available and for more information about each program: www.verigates.com.

BUREAU VERITAS IS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE TIC: TESTING AND INSPECTION CERTIFICATION COUNCIL (Former IFIA)

As one of the founders of the Professional Association of Inspection Bodies and other TIC organisations, we are committed to complying with the TIC Council Code of Practice with regard to VOC (Verification Of Conformity) and CBCA (Consignment Based Conformity Assessment).

CERTIFICATION AND ACCREDITATION

Bureau Veritas is ISO 9001:2015 certified, and was the first inspection institution in the world with an ISO 17020:2012 network accreditation

WORLDWIDE NETWORK

Our global presence offers you the convenience of international expertise combined with local service, wherever you need it

THOROUGH EXPERIENCE

Bureau Veritas was founded in 1828, and has many years of experience in simplifying international trade for numerous clients and government institutions

UNDERSTANDING PROCESSES

Our auditors' expertise allows for a better assessment of your business processes, and contributes to their optimisation with a professional certification service