As of 24 April 2020 organisations placing synthetic detergents intended for laundry washing on the market of Belarus must ensure that such detergents have a national Belorussian declaration of conformity.
The requirement to have a declaration of conformity applies to all synthetic detergents intended for laundry washing: powder, granular, agglomerated, molded (tablets, blocks, etc.), pastes, liquids (including thickened liquids and gels) both imported into Belarus and locally manufactured.
All these detergents must comply with the requirements of the standard GOST 32479-2013 "Laundry detergents. General technical conditions” where they relate to foaming and washing abilities. These indicators are the most important consumer characteristics that affect both the washing efficiency, consumer protection and the safety of property, especially washing machines.
This requirement has been adopted due to the fact that there is a significant number of detergents on the market of Belarus that do not conform to the properties prescribed by the standard GOST 32479-2013.
Random tests performed by an accredited test laboratory have shown that out of 47 powder detergents tested for “washing efficiency” parameter, over 60% were not compliant with the standard.
It is important to note that synthetic detergents are included in the Unified list of products, to which uniform mandatory requirements are established within the framework of the Customs Union. However, the technical regulation "On the safety of synthetic detergents and household chemical goods" in the EAEU which has been developed, has not yet been adopted. This allows countries to establish mandatory requirements for confirmation of compliance at the national level, which should be repealed when a single EAEU technical regulation on synthetic detergents is adopted.
Also important to note that all detergents that were imported or manufactured in Belarus before 24 April 2020 can remain on the market and be sold without a conformity declaration until their normal expiry dates.
Possibility to use alternative declarations of confirmity
In 2011, within the framework of the Customs Union, a Unified List of products subject to mandatory conformity assessment was adopted. It provides for the possibility for an organisation to issue a voluntary declaration of conformity with the requirements of GOST 32479-2013 and register an EAEU declaration of conformity in a unified form. The presence of such a document provides the right to supply products to all EAEU member countries without having to undergo any additional conformity assessment procedures. If an importer or manufacturer issue and register such an EAEU declaration of conformity for a detergent, then no national Belorussian declaration or certification is required for the detergent to be sold in Belarus.
Law: Decree No. 706 of 18 October 2019