To guarantee the correct manufacture of construction products involving of testing laboratories, inspection bodies and certification bodies can be prescribed. Testing laboratories, inspection bodies and certification bodies require a recognition according to the Landesbauordnungen ('Building Regulations of the Land') or the Bauproduktengesetz ('Construction Products Law'). As impartial third parties they carry out initial type-testing within the conformity procedure at national level, perform external surveillance and grant product certificates. In addition, within the conformity procedure at European level they can carry out audit-testing, initial inspection of the factory and of the factory production control as well as the certification.
The recognition of testing laboratories, inspection bodies and certification bodies is the competence of the Laender. DIBt prepares the recognition according to the criteria of the recognition regulations of the Federal and Laender Governments or, in cases where the Laender have conferred the competence to DIBt, it even issues the notices of recognition. In doing so, DIBt mainly evaluates technical competence and equipment, qualification and the experience of applicants, who can be individuals, bodies or inspection communities.
DIBt has also the task to publish testing laboratories, inspection bodies and certification bodies in lists. According to the Landesbauordnungen ('Building Regulations of the Land') the recognized bodies amount to about 350 at present, while according to the Bauproduktengesetz ('Construction Products Law') there are about 150 bodies recognized and notified, i.e. communicated to the EU Commission and the other Member States of the EU. More under