What does COC actually mean?

Road registration of special machine is not always simple, and is an unloved subject both for the manufacturer and the final customer. The so-called COC (English for Certificate of Conformity) makes machine registration easier if certain provisions are observed. JENZ has now received the certificate for both its BA 725 and BA 915 biomass processors. Ulf Bulmahn, who is responsible for machine documentation at JENZ, explains what the COC is all about and which advantages it has for the customer.

Normally we have to obtain individual approval, if we want to register our machines, i.e. the machine is accepted by a TÜV (German technical inspection authority) inspector at our works. The inspector then issues a certificate which enables the machine to be registered at the roads administration office. If the machine is sold abroad it could be that it has to undergo a renewed inspection in the relevant country. However, some countries also accept the certificate from Germany.

Now once we’ve been issued with the COC we can draw up the COC papers directly in our works, in other words a separate inspection by the TÜV is no longer necessary. The COC papers confirm that the machine has been constructed in accordance with the regulations and the vehicle data is presented in a list. We can then go directly to the roads administration offices with COC papers and do not require further inspection. No further inspections are required abroad either because the COC applies to the whole of Europe, i.e. if the COC is available it enables road registration in every EU member state. This means that the registration process is considerably simpler.