Interview with the Deputy Director-General for Industry & Inspection with Madrid Regional Government

How important is the CE marking?

The CE mark is the system designed by the European Union to enable manufacturers to show on their products an explicit declaration that they comply with all the European harmonisation regulations applicable to them. By putting the CE mark on their products, manufacturers assume responsibility for them in a significant way. In return, they obtain what is known as the presumption of conformity, which means that Member States cannot prohibit or hinder the free movement, marketing and putting into service of these products unless they can prove non-compliance with the European regulations I just mentioned.

It is essential to clarify that, for automatic garage doors, the CE marking is mandatory and guarantees that the product on which it is placed is safe. Any door that does not bear it does not comply with current regulations and cannot be marketed in the European Union.

It is also important to note that, in addition to the CE marking, manufacturers must provide purchasers of automatic garage doors with two important documents: the EC/EU Declaration of Conformity and the Declaration of Performance. The door owner must retain these documents because they prove that the door complied with the regulations in force when it was put into service, and government officers may request them as proof.

What criteria are used to monitor the automatic garage door market?

Monitoring of the automatic garage door market includes all the actions carried out by the competent authorities to ensure that only safe doors compliant with current regulations are marketed in Spain.

This type of monitoring is carried out on doors while they are as new as possible, before wear and tear or modification for use, aspects which are outside the manufacturer’s responsibility. The aspects checked in inspections vary from one year to another, as they can include any requirement covered by the applicable regulations.

However, countrywide campaigns over the last four years have checked the following: that the CE mark and all the markings required by regulations were present; the existence of the declaration of conformity and the declaration of performance, and that these include all the necessary information; that the instruction, operation and maintenance manuals were given to the door owners; and that the doors had a series of standard safety features.

What have been the results of the automatic door sector inspections in the Madrid region in recent years?

The results of the market monitoring campaigns have been somewhat disappointing. They found that many doors are supplied without the markings and documents required for sale and installation. In addition, a fairly high percentage of doors had safety defects, so that if the government had not intervened, people and vehicles could have been at risk as they passed through.

To rectify this situation, the Madrid regional government has launched a series of measures, including increased inspections and a major campaign aimed at all agents involved in the sector (such as manufacturers, installers, professional associations, property managers, municipal technicians, construction companies), to boost awareness about current regulations and make them aware of their responsibilities and the importance of complying with them.

It will also introduce tougher penalties for those who do not comply with the regulations; they could face fines of up to six million Euros for infringements or even be more if their actions cause serious damage or risk to people or property. The Madrid regional government would prefer not to have to resort to such high penalties, but it cannot continue to allow doors to be sold that put the safety of Madrid’s citizens at risk.