MED Certification (Directive 2014/90/EU)

Marine Equipment – Directive 2014/90/EU

Directive 2014/90/EU (Marine Equipment Directive – MED) is the European implementation of international instruments adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). It provides the harmonized regulatory framework designed to ensure maritime safety, prevent marine pollution, and facilitate the free movement of marine equipment within the European Single Market.

Compliance with the Directive is not a static requirement. It depends on meeting performance requirements and testing standards that are continuously updated through the Commission Implementing Regulation, the EU implementing regulation that annually identifies the technical standards applicable to each product.
 

Scope of Application

The Directive applies to equipment intended for installation on board:

• EU passenger ships subject to the International Conventions (SOLAS).
• EU cargo ships subject to the International Conventions (SOLAS).
• Any vessel flying the flag of an EU Member State for which the applicable international instruments require approval by the flag State administration.

Many products are also covered by the EU–US Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA), allowing them to be installed on vessels flying the United States flag. More generally, MED-certified products are widely recognized and accepted for installation on non-EU vessels as well.
 

The Wheelmark

The graphical symbol demonstrating compliance with the MED Directive is the Wheelmark, whose stylized design resembles a ship's steering wheel. This marking is not simply a commercial logo but a legally recognized declaration of technical compliance.

The Wheelmark must be affixed visibly and permanently to the equipment and must include the identification number of the Notified Body responsible for the production control phase (e.g., 0407 for Istituto Giordano) together with the last two or four digits of the year in which the marking is affixed (format: 0407/XXXX).

The Wheelmark may only be applied after the entire conformity assessment procedure has been successfully completed, including both the design and production stages.
 

Main Categories of Certifiable Equipment

Istituto Giordano S.p.A. provides certification services for the following product categories:

• Life-Saving Appliances (LSA Code): examples include liferafts and rescue boats, lifebuoys, immersion suits, pyrotechnic distress signals, self-igniting lights for lifebuoys, other life-saving equipment

• Fire Protection Equipment (FTP Code): systems and components intended for passive and active fire protection on board ships, including fire compartmentation and fire-extinguishing systems.

• Navigation Equipment: Istituto Giordano S.p.A. currently operates exclusively in the certification of pilot ladders.
   

Conformity Assessment Procedures (Modules)

The MED Directive requires compliance to be demonstrated through a mandatory combination of conformity assessment modules. Certifying a prototype alone is not sufficient; manufacturers must also demonstrate that serial production consistently meets the approved performance requirements.

Typically, a manufacturer combines a design assessment module (Phase 1) with a production or product verification module (Phase 2). For certain products, the entire conformity assessment can be completed under a single procedure (Module G).

The most common module combinations are:

• B + D
• B + E
• B + F

The Commission Implementing Regulation specifies the conformity assessment modules applicable to each product category.

As a Notified Body under Directive 2014/90/EU, Istituto Giordano S.p.A. provides comprehensive support to manufacturers for:

• Certification of new marine equipment for market placement;
• Performance of IMO testing at its accredited laboratories;
• Transfer of existing MED certifications;
• Guidance throughout the entire conformity assessment process.