Post-construction assessment
Post-construction assessment (PCA) is the procedure the Recreational Craft Directive provides for specific cases where the manufacturer's conformity assessment does not cover the craft. We help you check whether one of those cases applies, gather the evidence and coordinate with the notified body that carries out the assessment.
Every request is read by our team. The first reply sets out the likely route and the documents involved.
Overview
Post-construction assessment applies in the cases listed in Article 19(2)–(4) of the directive. The person concerned applies to a notified body and provides the technical documentation; the notified body examines the craft and issues a PCA certificate and report of conformity. The person concerned then affixes the CE marking with the body’s number and the builder’s plate marked “post-construction assessment”.
We help you arrive with a complete file: what exists, what is missing, and what the notified body is likely to ask for.
Who it is for
Private importers
You are importing a craft from outside the EU for your own use, not as a business, and its manufacturer has not carried out the conformity assessment (Article 19(2)).
Owners after a major conversion
The means of propulsion has been changed, the engine has had a major modification, the craft has been altered so that it may no longer meet the essential requirements, or its intended purpose now brings it within the directive (Article 19(3)).
Builders of own-use craft
You built the craft for your own use and want to place it on the market within five years of putting it into service (Article 19(4)).
What we support
What we support
- Initial review of the craft's history and the documents that exist
- Explanation of whether post-construction assessment applies and what it involves
- An evidence list, for example drawings, build records, photographs and earlier test reports
- Preparation and structuring of the technical documentation
- Coordination with the notified body that carries out the assessment
- Support with the EU declaration of conformity and the builder's plate data once the notified body has issued its certificate
Roles and responsibilities
- The notified body carries out the assessment and decides its outcome
- The PCA certificate, the report of conformity and the notified body number come from the notified body
- Inspections and tests are arranged with qualified parties and quoted separately
- Where a craft needs changes before it can conform, the notified body's assessment shows which
How the engagement works
Intake
You share the craft details, its history and the documents you hold.
Route review
We explain whether post-construction assessment applies to your case and what it would involve.
Evidence plan
You receive a list of the evidence to gather and a quote for our work.
Notified body assessment
The notified body examines the craft, decides which calculations or other checks are needed and carries out the assessment; we coordinate.
Certificate and declaration
The notified body issues a PCA certificate and report of conformity. You then affix the CE marking with the body's number and the builder's plate marked “post-construction assessment”, and draw up the EU declaration of conformity on your own responsibility.
Information that helps us start
- Builder, model and year of build
- Craft type and hull length, if known
- Existing documents, for example certificates, manuals and invoices
- Ownership and import history, or details of the conversion
- Recent photographs of the craft
- Where the craft will be placed on the market or put into service
Questions
Short answers to the questions we hear most about this service:
- What is a post-construction assessment (PCA)?
- What is the PCA certificate and report of conformity?
- When does a post-construction assessment apply?
- Which documents are required?
- What is checked when a boat is imported?
Regulation and sources
Start with an initial review
Send the craft details and the documents you have. The first reply sets out the likely route and who is involved.
Every request is read by our team. The first reply sets out the likely route and the documents involved.