Compliance - Frequently Asked Questions

A Declaration of Conformity (DoC) is the written statement to demonstrate the fulfilment of the EU requirements relating to a product. It is a signed document stating that the product meets the requirements of the directives that apply to it. It also allows an enforcement authority to identify who is responsible for a product. A test report is the output of quality assurance testing which will be done to ensure the item will meet the European qualification criteria. The test report shows the test result.

Our products are assessed carefully and comply with EU safety, health and environmental requirements. To ensure all products meet the European qualification criteria, quality assurance tests have been performed and all relevant test reports are available.

No. The European law is superior to the national laws of Member States. The European law applies to all 27 European member states with a binding force. Therefore, European Member States may not apply a national rule that contradicts to European law.

Go to the web shop, search for the item number, scroll down to the tool bar, you’ll find them in the tab ‘DOCUMENTATION’.

We test our products during manufacturing, so we can adjust the product if necessary. The final test is carried out on the finished goods. This ensures that we ship a fully compliant end product to Europe. The test reports are valid until the product, manufacturing method or applicable law changes. Then the retest of the newly produced product is mandatory. Please note that, if there are no changes in the manufacturing of the item regarding materials, there is no need to do the re-test. However, midocean sets out its own policy concerning the acceptable age of a report: For high-risk items, we renew the test report every 2 years. For low-risk items, every 3 years.

Yes, all reports published in the web shop are free to forward to end users.

Product Compliance is all about the product itself, to ensure that the items we import and bring onto the European market are safe. Social compliance is a way of working to help improve the working conditions for the people in the factories who produce our items. Extremely important for us as the buying party, but not mandatory by any law.

No, it is not a law and it is not required to have a social policy. However, since 90% of our items are produced in China, a country where national laws protecting workers rights are inadequate or poorly enforced, we feel the need to help improve the working conditions for the people who produce our items.

An ethical audit measures the cultural behaviour of an organisation, and determines the extent to which its values are embedded across its people and across its processes. This is the controlling part of your social compliance policy. At midocean we use the audits of the amfori BSCI-program.

The Business Social Compliance Initiative (amfori BSCI) is a business-driven initiative for companies committed to improving working conditions in factories worldwide. The amfori BSCI Code of Conduct is a set of values and principles that all amfori BSCI participating companies and their business partners commit to implementing along the supply chain.

The most important principles are: No child labour, no bonded labour, fair remuneration, decent working hours, no discrimination and ethical business behavior.

For us as a company it is extremely important to buy at factories where the working conditions are in line with the national law and the International labour standards. In the amfori BSCI Code of Conduct and the way of working of the amfori BSCI program we found the principles and values which we have in high regard.

We have a signed Confirmation of Participation that we can provide you on request.

No, amfori BSCI is not a certification system, but an audit system. So the factory which produces the item will be audited. The outcome of the audit is presented in an audit report.

Yes, we can provide you this information. Please ask your regular contact person.

Our participation with amfori BSCI commenced in February 2016 and we have been performing a planned roll out of audits on our supply chain. We work with an extensive list of different factories and as of now, 68% of our items is produced in an amfori BSCI audited factory. If a supplier falls short of the audit requirements an improvement plan is created and the supplier is given a set period of time to implement these improvements. During this process, we advise and help them wherever needed to achieve the required improvements or system changes. A new audit is then performed to register and benchmark the results against the initial suggested improvements and to gauge if further actions are required. midocean actively works with our suppliers to help them to improve the working practices and conditions of their employees for the benefit of all in the supply chain.

No, we are amfori BSCI participant and we are committed to the Code of Conduct of amfori BSCI. Remember, in almost all cases the CoC is based on the same agreements. If needed, we can provide you the amfori BSCI Code of Conduct or the Confirmation of Participation.