[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 191 (Tuesday, October 4, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-24465]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: October 4, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and Technology
[Docket No. 940967-4267]

 

National Voluntary Conformity Assessment System Evaluation 
(NVCASE) Program

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice, Request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: This is to advise the public that the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology (NIST) has received a request from the 
National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) to have its 
recreational craft certification program recognized under the NIST 
National Voluntary Conformity Assessment System Evaluation (NVCASE) 
Program.

DATES: Comments on this request must be received by November 3, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be submitted in writing to Mr. Robert L. 
Gladhill, Program Manager, NVCASE, National Institute of Standards and 
Technology, Administration Building, room A-629, Gaithersburg, MD 20899 
or by telefax at 301-963-2871.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Either Mr. John L. Donaldson, Chief, 
Standards Code and Information, or Robert L. Gladhill, NVCASE Program 
Manager, in writing at NIST, Admin A629, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, by 
telephone at 301-975-4029 or by telefax at 301-963-2871.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. boating industry manufactures more 
than 50% of all recreational boats sold throughout the world, a 
considerable portion of which are sold in the European market. In order 
to continue to sell in the European Union (EU) market, the U.S. 
recreational boat manufacturing industry will soon be required to 
satisfy new regulatory requirements established under EU Directive 94/
25/EEC relating to recreation craft. Manufactures will also be required 
to attest to the conformity of their products with the requirements. 
The NMMA operates a program to certify that recreational boats, boating 
accessories and components meet specified requirements. If its 
certification operations are accredited by NIST under the NVCASE 
program, NMMA will be able to provide the required certifications and 
thereby facilities exports of U.S. products to the EU market.
    the NVCASE procedures at 15 CFR Part 286 require NIST to seek 
public consultation when it receives requests for evaluation. This 
notice therefore is a solicitation for comments on the NMMA request. 
Contingent upon the comments received, NIST will schedule a public 
workshop to define general and specific criteria for conducting the 
requested evaluation.
    The letter from the NMMA follows:

July 14, 1994.

Mr. Robert L. Gladhill,
Manager, NVCASE Program, Admin A629, NIST Gaithersburg, MD 20899
    Dear Bob: We hereby submit to you our formal request to have the 
NMMA certification program recognized by your NVCASE program. As you 
know we have been one of your earliest supporters and as early as 
1991 the U.S. Coast Guard supported our efforts in a letter to NIST.
    This has become especially urgent now because a Directive 
related to recreational craft has been adopted by the EC in Europe 
with an implementation date of June 1996. This Directive refers to 
both the completed boat and components, which the boat manufacturer 
usually orders a year before his next model year. Thus a boat 
manufacturer would place his orders for engines and other components 
at the trade shows in October of 1994. He would then commence 
building the boats during 1995 for the 1996 models which must comply 
with the Directive.
    The NMMA certification is for recreational craft, the Directive 
is specifically for craft from 2.5 to 24 meters length. The US Coast 
Guard has the responsibility for the safety aspect of these 
products. This certification would be limited to product 
certification, in the Directive referred to as modules Aa and B+C, 
and thus would entail conformity assessment. At this time we do not 
plan on getting involved in the quality assessment. NMMA is a member 
of the Recreational Marine Agreement Group recently recognized by 
the EOTC, whose members follow the same procedures for product 
certification.
    There are some 30 ISO standards related to small craft that will 
be used for this certification. These ISO standards are in various 
stages of becoming adopted by CEN in Europe.
    Recreational craft has been established as a top priority item 
for the Mutual Recognition Agreement discussion between US and EC. 
These discussions have been conducted with the anticipation of NMMA 
being accredited by NVCASE. Further, the USCG communication of 1991 
suggested that NMMA become accredited by your program. Of additional 
importance is the short time schedule for accreditation so 
components can be certificated by the end of this year.
    If we were to go via any other organization, it is highly 
unlikely NMMA would get the needed accreditation in time. The US 
presently has a positive balance of trade in this industry, but if 
we do not have our products in place, when this Directive goes into 
effect, we will have a severe setback, which may affect the US boat 
manufacturer's profitability and possibly employment.
    The NMMA certificates 75-80% of all boats sold in the US. Many 
of the manufacturers of these boats rely on export to be profitable. 
The participating manufacturers would probably be over 200 
initially.
    We request that you proceed with the accreditation level for 
NMMA as a product certification body as soon as possible. Please let 
us know if there is any help we can provide.

        Sincerely,
G. Medford Smith,
Technical Director.

    Interested persons should submit comments in writing to the above 
address. All comments received in response to this notice will become 
part of the public record and will be available for inspection and 
copying at the Commerce Department Records and Inspection facility, 
room 6020, Hoover Building, Washington, DC 20230.

    Dated: September 28, 1994.
Samuel Kramer,
Associate Director.
[FR Doc. 94-24465 Filed 10-3-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-M