Recreational Craft Sectoral Group (RSG) of EU Notified Bodies – the latest edition of its guidelines has now been published.

Recreational Craft Sectoral Group Essential Requirements

These Recreational Craft Sectoral Group (RSG) Guidelines are primarily intended for use by the Notified Bodies, manufacturers of boats and equipment and Market Surveillance authorities and provide critical support in terms of compliance to the RCD essential requirements.

ICOMIA participates actively within RSG and attends key technical subgroup meetings, which discuss and agree various proposals which aim to clarify certain compliance challenges.

Please download the 2026 edition of the Guidelines here:

https://www.rsg.be/rsgdownload?id=608a78e3-544c-410a-855d-e7274d1e6216

Given the scope of the RCD and the variety of different types of watercraft, PWC, and components, the Guidelines make an assessment of the relevant harmonised standards which can be applied, identify where there are potential  ‘gaps’ and provides support where no standards are available to ensure that compliance with the RCD essential requirements (which are mandatory) are met.

The RSG Guidelines are organised into six parts:

Part I: RCD Articles

Part II: Essential Requirements including:

Annex I of RCD: Essential requirements

Annex II of RCD: Components of watercraft

Annex III of RCD: Declaration by the manufacturer or the importer of the partly completed watercraft

Annex IV of RCD: EU DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY

Annex VI of RCD: Supplementary requirements when internal production control plus supervised production tests set out in Module A1

is used

Annex VII of RCD: Conformity of production assessment for exhaust and noise emissions

Annex VIII Supplementary procedure to be applied under conformity to type based on internal production control (Module C)

Annex IX Technical documentation

Part III: Conformity Assessment Procedures including:

Annex II of Decision No 768/2008/EC as specified in Article 24 ?Supplementary requirements? of RCD II

Part IV: Post-Construction Assessment (PCA) including:

Annex V of RCD: Equivalent conformity based on post-construction assessment (module PCA)

Part V: Harmonised Standards with Annexes ZA

Part VI: Recommendations for Use (RfU) prepared by RSG

It should be noted that these Guidelines will form part of the RCD evaluation study and review process and remain an important tool for all stakeholders engaged in the recreational marine sector.

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