Article 120

From 26 May 2021, any publication of a notification in respect of a notified body in accordance with Directives 90/385/EEC and 93/42/EEC shall become void.

Certificates issued by notified bodies in accordance with Directives 90/385/EEC and 93/42/EEC prior to 25 May 2017 shall remain valid until the end of the period indicated on the certificate, except for certificates issued in accordance with Annex 4 to Directive 90/385/EEC or Annex IV to Directive 93/42/EEC which shall become void at the latest on 27 May 2022.

Certificates issued by notified bodies in accordance with Directives 90/385/EEC and 93/42/EEC from 25 May 2017 that were still valid on 26 May 2021 and that have not been withdrawn afterwards shall remain valid after the end of the period indicated on the certificate until the date set out in paragraph 3a of this Article applicable for the relevant risk class of the devices. Certificates issued by notified bodies in accordance with those Directives from 25 May 2017 that were still valid on 26 May 2021 and that have expired before 20 March 2023 shall be considered to be valid until the dates set out in paragraph 3a of this Article only if one of the following conditions is fulfilled:

1. (a)

   before the date of expiry of the certificate, the manufacturer and a notified body have signed a written agreement in accordance with Section 4.3, second subparagraph, of Annex VII to this Regulation for the conformity assessment in respect of the device covered by the expired certificate or in respect of a device intended to substitute that device;

2. (b)

   a competent authority of a Member State has granted a derogation from the applicable conformity assessment procedure in accordance with Article 59(1) of this Regulation or has required the manufacturer, in accordance with Article 97(1) of this Regulation, to carry out the applicable conformity assessment procedure.

By way of derogation from Article 5 and provided the conditions set out in paragraph 3c of this Article are met, devices referred to in paragraphs 3a and 3b of this Article may be placed on the market or put into service until the dates set out in those paragraphs.

Devices which have a certificate that was issued in accordance with Directive 90/385/EEC or Directive 93/42/EEC and that is valid by virtue of paragraph 2 of this Article may be placed on the market or put into service until the following dates:

1. (a)

   31 December 2027, for all class III devices, and for class IIb implantable devices except sutures, staples, dental fillings, dental braces, tooth crowns, screws, wedges, plates, wires, pins, clips and connectors;

2. (b)

   31 December 2028, for class IIb devices other than those covered by point (a) of this paragraph, for class IIa devices, and for class I devices placed on the market in sterile condition or having a measuring function.

Devices for which the conformity assessment procedure pursuant to Directive 93/42/EEC did not require the involvement of a notified body, for which the declaration of conformity was drawn up prior to 26 May 2021 and for which the conformity assessment procedure pursuant to this Regulation requires the involvement of a notified body, may be placed on the market or put into service until 31 December 2028.

Devices referred to in paragraphs 3a and 3b of this Article may be placed on the market or put into service until the dates referred to in those paragraphs only if the following conditions are met:

1. (a)

   those devices continue to comply with Directive 90/385/EEC or Directive 93/42/EEC, as applicable;

2. (b)

   there are no significant changes in the design and intended purpose;

3. (c)

   the devices do not present an unacceptable risk to the health or safety of patients, users or other persons, or to other aspects of the protection of public health;

4. (d)

   no later than 26 May 2024, the manufacturer has put in place a quality management system in accordance with Article 10(9);

5. (e)

   no later than 26 May 2024, the manufacturer or the authorised representative has lodged a formal application with a notified body in accordance with Section 4.3, first subparagraph, of Annex VII for conformity assessment in respect of a device referred to in paragraph 3a or 3b of this Article or in respect of a device intended to substitute that device, and, no later than 26 September 2024, the notified body and the manufacturer have signed a written agreement in accordance with Section 4.3, second subparagraph, of Annex VII.

By way of derogation from paragraph 3 of this Article, the requirements of this Regulation relating to post-market surveillance, market surveillance, vigilance, registration of economic operators and of devices shall apply to devices referred to in paragraphs 3a and 3b of this Article in place of the corresponding requirements in Directives 90/385/EEC and 93/42/EEC.

Without prejudice to Chapter IV and paragraph 1 of this Article, the notified body that issued the certificate referred to in paragraph 3a of this Article shall continue to be responsible for the appropriate surveillance in respect of the applicable requirements relating to the devices it has certified, unless the manufacturer has agreed with a notified body designated in accordance with Article 42 that the latter shall carry out such surveillance.

No later than 26 September 2024, the notified body that has signed the written agreement referred to in paragraph 3c, point (e), of this Article shall be responsible for the surveillance in respect of the devices covered by the written agreement. Where the written agreement covers a device intended to substitute a device which has a certificate that was issued in accordance with Directive 90/385/EEC or Directive 93/42/EEC, the surveillance shall be conducted in respect of the device that is being substituted.

The arrangements for the transfer of the surveillance from the notified body that issued the certificate to the notified body designated in accordance with Article 42 shall be clearly defined in an agreement between the manufacturer and the notified body designated in accordance with Article 42 and, where practicable, the notified body that issued the certificate. The notified body designated in accordance with Article 42 shall not be responsible for conformity assessment activities carried out by the notified body that issued the certificate.

By way of derogation from Article 5, class III custom-made implantable devices may be placed on the market or put into service until 26 May 2026 without a certificate issued by a notified body in accordance with the conformity assessment procedure referred to in Article 52(8), second subparagraph, provided that no later than 26 May 2024, the manufacturer or the authorised representative has lodged a formal application with a notified body in accordance with Section 4.3, first subparagraph, of Annex VII for conformity assessment, and, no later than 26 September 2024, the notified body and the manufacturer have signed a written agreement in accordance with Section 4.3, second subparagraph, of Annex VII.

Devices lawfully placed on the market pursuant to Directives 90/385/EEC and 93/42/EEC prior to 26 May 2021, and devices lawfully placed on the market from 26 May 2021 pursuant to paragraphs 3, 3a, 3b and 3f of this Article, may continue to be made available on the market or put into service.

By way of derogation from Directives 90/385/EEC and 93/42/EEC, devices which comply with this Regulation may be placed on the market prior to 26 May 2021.

By way of derogation from Directives 90/385/EEC and 93/42/EEC, conformity assessment bodies which comply with this Regulation may be designated and notified prior to 26 May 2021. Notified bodies which are designated and notified in accordance with this Regulation may carry out the conformity assessment procedures laid down in this Regulation and issue certificates in accordance with this Regulation prior to 26 May 2021.

As regards devices subject to the consultation procedure laid down in Article 54, paragraph 5 of this Article shall apply provided that the necessary appointments to the MDCG and expert panels have been made.

By way of derogation from Article 10a, point (a) of Article 10b(1) and Article 11(5) of Directive 90/385/EEC and Article 14(1) and (2), points (a) and (b) of Article 14a(1) and Article 16(5) of Directive 93/42/EEC, manufacturers, authorised representatives, importers and notified bodies which, during the period starting on the later of the dates referred to in point (d) of Article 123(3) and ending 18 months later, comply with Articles 29(4), 31(1) and 56(5) of this Regulation shall be considered to comply with the laws and regulations adopted by Member States in accordance with, respectively, Article 10a of Directive 90/385/EEC or Article 14(1) and (2) of Directive 93/42/EEC, with, respectively, point (a) of Article 10b(1) of Directive 90/385/EEC or points (a) and (b) of Article 14a(1) of Directive 93/42/EEC and with, respectively, Article 11(5) of Directive 90/385/EEC or Article 16(5) of Directive 93/42/EEC, as specified in Decision 2010/227/EU.

Authorisations granted by the competent authorities of the Member States in accordance with Article 9(9) of Directive 90/385/EEC or Article 11(13) of Directive 93/42/EEC shall keep the validity indicated in the authorisation.

Devices falling within the scope of this Regulation in accordance with point (g) of Article 1(6) which have been legally placed on the market or put into service in accordance with the rules in force in the Member States prior to 26 May 2021 may continue to be placed on the market and put into service in the Member States concerned.

Clinical investigations which have started to be conducted in accordance with Article 10 of Directive 90/385/EEC or Article 15 of Directive 93/42/EEC prior to 26 May 2021 may continue to be conducted. As of 26 May 2021, however, the reporting of serious adverse events and device deficiencies shall be carried out in accordance with this Regulation.

Until the Commission has designated, pursuant to Article 27(2), issuing entities, GS1, HIBCC and ICCBBA shall be considered to be designated issuing entities.

Article 10a shall also apply to devices referred to in paragraphs 3a and 3b of this Article.