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European Technical Assessment (ETA)

The European Technical Assessment allows you to market construction products throughout Europe that are not or not fully covered by a harmonised standard. DIBt is one of the leading Technical Assessment Body (TAB) issuing ETAs and the only such body designated by Germany. We will help you on your way to Europe.

A passport for Europe

Miniature flags of several EU countries floating in the wind

The ETA is a product performance assessment that leads to CE marking. With it you can market your product in the entire European Economic Area, Switzerland and Turkey. In many cases, the ETA also opens doors worldwide.

An ETA request can be submitted for any construction product that is not covered or not fully covered by a harmonised standard. In contrast to a harmonised standard, the ETA can be tailored to the product. In addition, the ETA can include product characteristics that have not been addressed in an existing harmonised standard.

Compared to the national technical approval, the advantage of the ETA is in its wider geographical scope. However, with an ETA, comparison of the declared performance with the national requirements for construction works is always required. If you need advice on which route to choose for your product we will be happy to assist you.

You can find practical ETA information for individual product groups in our Information portal for construction products and techniques.

To learn more about the ETA procedure, please watch this video:

© DIBt, January 2017

Note: When this video was produced, the abZ/aBG still used to be called abZ.

You would like to request an ETA? Please fill in the following form:

After we have received your ETA request, we will first check to see if we have received all the necessary documents and if an assessment basis already exists for your construction product.

As soon as your technical file is complete, you will receive an official application confirmation from us. This will mark the start of the actual procedure, which is similar to the one for a national approval. We will draw up a test plan and recommend suitable test laboratories to you. You will take the test plan to the institute of your choice and have the necessary test reports drawn up there. We will then evaluate the submitted test reports and issue the ETA.

  • Tip: For a detailed explanation of the ETA procedure, please see our ETA brochure.

The processing time for an ETA depends on the complexity of the product and the testing requirements. However, the procedure usually only takes a few months.

If there is no assessment basis – a so-called European Assessment Document (EAD) – available for the preparation of the ETA, it first needs to be developed. The Construction Products Regulation allows a maximum of nine months for this preliminary step.

European Technical Assessments are valid for an unlimited duration. However, DIBt recommends that manufacturers have their ETAs reviewed on a regular basis and adapted to the state of the art as required. We will be happy to assist you in this process.

The costs for issuing an ETA vary according to the complexity of the product. They are comparable to those for a national approval. A general price range can be found in the DIBt Statutes. To provide you with an individual estimate we require detailed information about your product. Our ETA request form provides a good overview of the information we need.

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