FFP2 face masks: CE 2163 certification – certification procedures and conformity checks
11.5.2021
Question for written answer E-002510/2021
to the Commission
Rule 138
Fabio Massimo Castaldo (NI), Sabrina Pignedoli (NI), Chiara Gemma (NI)
According to press reports, an Italian company specialising in import-export with China, following independent tests, has reported that most FFP2 face masks on the market do not comply with the standards laid down in Regulation (EU) 2016/425 on personal protective equipment. Most of the 20 types of mask tested did not, apparently, pass the filtration capacity tests[1].
The face masks in question bear the CE 2163 mark – certification provided by the Turkish company ‘Universal Certification’ to a number of Chinese companies selling the devices in Europe. OLAF is said to have been informed of the case[2].
A similar complaint was made on 21 January by a German newspaper[3] which spoke of 60 types of certified mask with a testing turnaround time of around 20 days compared to three or six months from a national certification body.
If the EU regulation allows for compliance checks on personal protective equipment (PPE) to be subcontracted out, in actual fact the lack of monitoring could undermine the confidence of final consumers, and this would be exacerbated by the emerging cases of fake certification.
Can the Commission therefore answer the following questions:
- 1.Can it confirm that OLAF is conducting an investigation into the Universal Certification company?
- 2.What measures does it intend to take to secure the trust and health of European consumers with regard to the personal protective equipment which is now being used on a daily basis?
- [1] https://www.corriere.it/cronache/21_marzo_03/mascherine-ffp2-difettose-indaga-l-antifrode-dell-unione-europea-2e725eee-7bf4-11eb-bc48-454efd4893c8.shtml
- [2] https://www.corriere.it/cronache/21_marzo_03/mascherine-ffp2-difettose-indaga-l-antifrode-dell-unione-europea-2e725eee-7bf4-11eb-bc48-454efd4893c8.shtml
- [3] https://www.br.de/nachrichten/wirtschaft/warum-viele-ffp2-masken-die-nummer-derselben-pruefstelle-tragen,SMpT5UI