Medical Device       
Medical Device Coordination Group Document    MDCG  2019 -15 rev1   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
MDCG  2019 -15 rev.1  
        GUIDANCE NOTES FOR MANUFACTURERS  
        OF CLASS I MEDICAL DEVICES              
 
             December   2019  
 July 2020 rev.1  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
This document has been endorsed by the Medical Device Coordination Group (MDCG) established by 
Article 103 of Regulation (EU) 2017/745. The MDCG is composed of representatives of all Member 
States and it is chaired by a representative of the European Commission.  
The document is not a European Commission document and it cannot be regarded as reflecting the 
official position of the European Commission. Any views expressed in this doc ument are not legally 
binding and only the Court of Justice of the European Union can give binding interpretations of Union 
law. 
  Class I Guidance MDCG MSWG  - MDCG  2019 -15 rev1  
 
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MDCG 2019 -15 revision 1 changes  
MDR postponement dates: from 2020 to 2021  
 
 
 
 
 
GUIDANCE NOTES FOR MANUFACTURERS  
OF CLASS I  MEDICAL DEVICES  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  Class I Guidance MDCG MSWG  - MDCG  2019 -15 rev1  
 
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 Contents  
List of acronyms  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 4 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  5 
Introduction  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  5 
Definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  8 
Placing on the market of Class I medical devices: The necessary steps  ................................ .........  11 
0) Integrate MDR  in the Quality Management System (QMS).  ................................ ..................  11 
1) Confirm product as a medical device  ................................ ................................ ........................  11 
2) Confirm product as a Class I medical device  ................................ ................................ ............  11 
3) Procedures before placing on the market  ................................ ................................ ..................  12 
a) Meet the general safety and performance requirements  ................................ .......................  12 
b) Conduct clinical evaluation  ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 12 
c) Prepare technical documentation  ................................ ................................ ..........................  14 
d) Request Notified Body involvement  ................................ ................................ .....................  16 
e) Prepare Instructions for Use and Labelling  ................................ ................................ ...........  16 
4) Check compliance with general obligations for manufacturers  ................................ ................  17 
5) Draw -up the EU Declaration of Conformity  ................................ ................................ .............  18 
6) Affix the CE marking  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  18 
7) Registration of devices and manufacturers in Eudamed  ................................ ...........................  19 
8) Post Market Surveillance (PMS)  ................................ ................................ ...............................  20 
a) Review experience gained from Post -Market Surveillance  ................................ ..................  20 
b) Vigilance  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............................  20 
c) Non conforming products  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 22 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 List of acronyms  
MDD – Medical Devices Directive  
MDR – Medical Devices Regulation  
FSCA – Field Safety Corrective Action  
FSN - Field Safety Notice  
UDI - Unique Device Identifier  
SRN - Single Registration Number  
NB - Notified Body  
ISO - International Organization for Standardization  
IEC - International Electrotechnical Commission  
CA – Competent Authority  
PPE – Personal Protective Equipment  
QMS - Quality Management System  
Im – Class I devices with measuring function  
Is – Class I sterile devices  
Ir – Class I reusable surgical instruments  
DI – Device Identifier  
Eudamed - European database on medical devices  
MD - Medical Device   
CS - Common Specification   
PMS – Post Market Surveillance  
IFU – Instructions for use   
PMCF - Post Market Clinical Follow -up   Class I Guidance MDCG MSWG  - MDCG  2019 -15 rev1  
 
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 Foreword  
These guidance notes do not aim to be a definitive interpretation of Regulation (EU) 2017/745 of the 
European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2017 on medical devices (MDR) and are intended for  
guidance purposes only.  
 
Introduction  
The purpose of this document is to provide guidance to manufacturers of Class I medical devices (other 
than custom made devices) who place on the Union market medical devices (from now on referred to as 
devices) under their name or trade mark, to help them meet the provi sions of the MDR.  This guidance 
should also be applicable for situations when an importer, distributor or any other legal person assumes 
the obligations incumbent on manufacturers, as per Article 16 (1), while not  covering the exception 
indicated by Artic le 16 (2).  
The MDR has changed the scope of the medical device legislation and it now extends its application to 
all economic operators in the supply chain (manufacturer, authorised representative, importer and 
distributor) as well as a broadened range of products such as those specifically intended for the cleaning, 
disinfection or sterilization of devices (Article 2 (1)) and products without an intended medical purpose 
(such as certain aesthetic products, as indicated in Annex XVI of the MDR). In addition , more emphasis 
is placed on a life -cycle approach to safety, backed up by clinical data and new requirements such as 
transparency and traceability1. 
Before placing a device on the market, the manufacturer will affix the CE mark in accordance with 
Annex V and draw up the EU declaration of conformity, including all the information required by 
Annex IV. Prior to that, the manufacturer will demonstrate conformity with the MDR and compliance 
with the applicable general safety and performance requirements laid o ut in Annex I.  
In order to accomplish the abovementioned tasks, the manufacturer will carry out the following:   
 Put in place a quality management system and a system for risk management according to Article 
10(2) and 10(9).  
 Conduct a clinical evaluation i n accordance with Article 61, as established in Article 10(3) and 
Annex XV.   
 Conduct a conformity assessment according to Article 52(7). In specific cases ( sterile devices, 
devices with measuring function, reusable surgical instruments ) defined in the referred Article, 
the manufacturer will request the involvement of a Notified Body (NB).    
 Draw up and keep up -to-date technical documentation related to devices as set out in Annexes II 
and III, in accordance with Article 10(4).  
 Draw up an EU declaration of conformity in accordance with Article 19.  
 Submit the required information to the electronic system for registration of economic operators 
(Eudamed) and comply with the registration obligation. The manufacturer will use the Single 
Regis tration Number (SRN) when applying to a NB for conformity assessment, if applicable and 
for further accessing Eudamed2 in order to fulfil its obligations related to registration of the 
devices.  
 Register the device in Eudamed assigning the Basic UDI -DI to t he device, as defined in Part C of 
Annex VI, and provide this to the UDI database together with the other core data elements 
referred in Part B of Annex VI related to that device.  
 Assign to the device and, if applicable, to all higher levels of packaging,  a UDI which will allow 
identification and traceability.  
                                                      
1  More information can be found at  https://ec.europa.eu/health/md_sector/overview   
2  Regarding all references to Eudamed in this document, please be advised that for the purposes of this guidance, obligations s trictly related to 
Eudamed will only apply when it is fully functional and any u pdates will be published on the EU Commission webpage.    Class I Guidance MDCG MSWG  - MDCG  2019 -15 rev1  
 
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  Ensure that the device is accompanied by the information needed to identify it and its 
manufacturer, and any safety and performance information relevant to the user, or any other 
person, as appropria te (Article 10(11)). This information, set out according to Section 23 of 
Annex I, must be provided in an official Union language(s) determined by the Member State in 
which the device is made available to the user or patient. The particulars on the label w ill be 
indelible, easily legible and clearly comprehensible to the intended user or patient.   
 Implement a post -market surveillance system in accordance with Article 83 (Article 10(10)) 
proportional to the risk class and appropriate for the type of device,  this includes additional 
aspects to be taken into account in case of devices placed on the market in sterile condition, with 
a measuring function or that are reusable surgical instruments. This system will be an integral 
part of the manufacturer's quality  management system based on a post -market surveillance plan 
(Article 84) , which will be part of the technical documentation specified in Annex III.  
 Implement a system for recording and reporting incidents and field safety corrective actions as 
described in  Articles 87 and 88 (Article 10(13)).  
 Put measures in place to provide sufficient financial coverage in respect of their potential liability 
under Directive 85/374/EEC3, without prejudice to more protective measures under national law. 
These measures will be proportional to the risk class, type of device and the size of the enterprise 
(Article 10(16)).  
Further detail on the aforementioned list of obligations is provided in the chapter “Placing Class I 
medical devices on the market ”.  
For devices placed on the market in a sterile condition, with a measuring function or which are reusable 
surgical instruments, the manufacturer will apply the procedures set out in Chapters I and III of Annex 
IX, or in Part A of Annex XI which require a NB assessment, limited t o critical aspects such as those 
concerning sterile condition, metrological requirements and the reuse of the device, as relevant, 
according with Article 52 (7 a, b and c).  
                                                      
3  Council Directive 85/374/EEC of 25 July 1985 on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of t he Member 
States concerning liability for defective products  Class I Guidance MDCG MSWG  - MDCG  2019 -15 rev1  
 
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Figure 1. Illustration of the conformity procedures for  the assessment of Class I devices with and 
without NB involvement.  
For big and medium size enterprises, the manufacturer will have available within their organization at 
least one person responsible for regulatory compliance4, as established by Article 15. Micro and small 
enterprises5 are required to have such person permanently and continuously at their disposal.  
A manufacturer with a registered place of business outside the Union will designate a sole authorised 
representative, at least per each gener ic device group, according to a written mandate. Such a mandate 
will establish the tasks to be performed by the authorised representative. To enable the fulfilment of 
these tasks, the manufacturer ensures that the authorised representative has the necessar y documentation 
permanently available and up -to date. The mandate will require the authorised representative to perform 
at least the tasks described in Article 11(3),  however the manufacturer cannot delegate its obligations 
laid down in Article 10(1), (2),  (3), (4), (6), (7), (9), (10), (11) and (12). In case of the  change of 
authorised representative, Article 12 establishes the minimum content of agreement to be addressed 
between the manufacturer, where practicable the outgoing authorised representative, a nd the incoming 
authorised representative.  
Upon request, the manufacturer will provide all the information and documentation necessary to 
demonstrate conformity of the device to competent authorities and cooperate with them on any 
corrective action. If th e manufacturer does not cooperate or does not provide the requested information 
or documentation, the competent authority (CA) can adopt restrictive measures.  
The manufacturer should periodically verify whether implementing and delegated acts, common 
speci fications, technical standards and guidelines might be available on the European Commission 
website6. Such documents might for example cover specific parts of legislation (e.g. classification of 
                                                      
4  See the  relevant MDCG guidance on Article 15 of MDR and IVDR regarding a "person responsible for regulatory compliance" (PRRC)  
5  See Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC  
6  https://ec.europa.eu/health/md_sector/overview     
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 medical devices, clinical evaluation) or specific requirement s regarding certain medical device 
technologies (e.g. software, 3D printing ) that can also be applicable for Class I devices.  
During the transitional period, manufacturers might be tempted to refer to guidance documents 
developed under the Directive 93/42/ EC. However, the old guidance documents, unless otherwise 
updated in line with the MDR, may have only some limited indicative value under the MDR. For the 
purpose of the MDR, only the text of the Regulation is valid in law and sets out requirements not 
reflected in the old guidance. Hence, the MDR alone can be relied upon as a  legal basis . 
Definitions  
For the complete list of definitions refer to Article 2 of the MDR. This is an excerpt of some definitions.  
Accessory for a medical device - means an article  which, whilst not being itself a medical device, is 
intended by its manufacturer to be used together with one or several particular medical device(s) to 
specifically enable the medical device(s) to be used in accordance with its/their intended  purpose(s)  or 
to specifically and directly assist the medical functionality of the medical device(s) in terms of its/their 
intended purpose(s) (Article 2(2)) . 
Authorised representative - means any natural or legal person established within the Union who has 
received  and accepted a written mandate from a manufacturer, located outside the Union, to act on the 
manufacturer's behalf in relation to specified tasks with regard to the latter's obligations under the MDR 
(Arti cle 2(32)). The designation of an authorised repre sentative will be in compliance with Article 11 
and effective at least for all devices o f the same generic device group  (Article 11(2)) . 
Adverse event - means any untoward medical occurrence, unintended disease or injury or any untoward 
clinical signs, inc luding an abnormal laboratory finding, in subjects, users or other persons, in the 
context of a clinical investigation, whether or not related to the investigational device  (Article 2(57)) . 
Benefit -risk determination  - means the analysis of all assessments of benefit and risk of possible 
relevance for the use of the device for the intended purpose, when used in accordance with the intended 
purpose given by the manufacturer (Article 2(24)) . 
Class I medical devices with  measuring function - are considered Class I medical devices which measure 
physiological parameters or anatomical parameter  or energy, respectively, or volume of medicinal 
products, body liquids or other substances administered to or removed from the body and display or 
indicate its value in a unit of measurement (example: urine bags, non -active thermometers,  measuring 
spoons).   
Note: According to section 15.2 of Annex I, measurements made by devices with a measuring function 
will be expressed in legal un its7. 
CE marking of conformity or CE marking - means a marking by which a manufacturer indicates that a 
device is in conformity with the applicable requirements set out in the MDR and other applicable 
Union harmonisation legislation providing for its affix ing (Article 2(43)) . 
Note: CE marking will be made in accordance with Annex V.  
Clinical evaluation - means a systematic and planned process to continuously generate, collect, analyse 
and assess the clinical data pertaining to a device in order to verify th e safety and performance, 
including clinical benefits, of the device when used as intended by the manufacturer. (Article 2(44)).  
Clinical data - means information concerning safety or performance that is generated from the use of a 
device and is sourced fr om the following:  
 clinical investigation(s) of the device concerned,  
                                                      
7  In conformance to the provisions of Council Directive  80/181/EEC   Class I Guidance MDCG MSWG  - MDCG  2019 -15 rev1  
 
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  clinical investigation(s) or other studies reported in scientific literature, of a device for which 
equivalence to the device in question can be demonstrated,  
 reports published in peer re viewed scientific literature on other clinical experience of either the 
device in question or a device for which equivalence to the device in question can be 
demonstrated,  
 clinically relevant information coming from post -market surveillance, in particular the post -
market clinical follow -up. (Article 2(48))  
Conformity Assessment – The process demonstrating whether the requirements of the MDR relating to a 
device have been fulfilled. (Article 2(40)). This process depends on the medical device classification, 
according to the procedures described in the MDR, in particular Article 52 (7) applicable for class I 
devices.  
Distributor  - means any natural or legal person in the supply chain, other than the manufacturer or the 
importer that makes a device available on  the market, up until the point of putting into service (Article 
2(34)) . 
Economic operator  - means a manufacturer, an authorised representative, an importer, a distributor or 
the person referre d to in Article 22(1) and 22(3)  (Article 2(35)) . 
Field safety corrective action  - means corrective action taken by a manufacturer for technical or 
medical reasons to prevent or reduce the risk of a serious incident in relation to a device made available 
on the market (Article 2(68)) . 
Field safety notice - means a com munication sent by a manufacturer to users or customers in relation to 
a field safety corrective action  (Article 2(69)) . 
Harmonised standard - means a European standard as defined in point (1)(c) of Article 2 of Regulation 
(EU) N° 1025/20128, (as referred on the Article 2(70)) – means a European standard adopted on the basis 
of a request made by the Commission for the application of Union harmonisation legislation.  
Importer  - means any natural or legal person established within the Union that places a devic e from a 
third country on the Union market  (Article 2(33)).  
Intended purpose/intended use - means the use for which a device is intended according to the data 
supplied by the manufacturer on the label, in the instructions for use or in promotional or sales  materials 
or statements and as specified by the manufacturer in the clinical evaluation (Article 2(12)).  
Instructions for use  - means the information provided by the manufacturer to inform the user of a device's 
intended purpose and proper use, and of any  precautions to be taken (Article 2(14)).  
Label  - means the written, printed or graphic information appearing either on the device itself, or on the 
packaging of each unit or on the packaging of multiple devices (Article 2(13)).  
Medical device  - means any instrument, apparatus, appliance, software, implant, reagent, material or 
other article intended by the manufacturer to be used, alone or in combination, for human beings for one 
or more of the following specific medical purposes:  
‒ diagnosis, prevention, m onitoring, prediction, prognosis, treatment or alleviation of disease,  
‒ diagnosis, monitoring, treatment, alleviation of, or compensation for, an injury or disability,  
‒ investigation, replacement or modification of the anatomy or of a physiological or path ological 
process or state,  
‒ providing information by means of in vitro examination of specimens derived from the human 
body, including organ, blood and tissue donations,  
  
                                                      
8  Regulation  (EU) No 1025/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council , of 25 October 2012 , on European standardization  Class I Guidance MDCG MSWG  - MDCG  2019 -15 rev1  
 
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 and which does not achieve its principal intended action by pharmacological, immuno logical or 
metabolic means, in or on the human body, but which may be assisted in its function by such means. 
The following products shall also be deemed to be medical devices:  
‒ devices for the control or support of conception;  
‒ products specifically intended for the cleaning, disinfection or sterilisation of devices as referred to 
in Article 1(4) and of those referred to in the first paragraph of this point. (Article 2(1))  
Manufacturer -  means a natural or legal person who manufactures or fully refur bishes a device or has a 
device designed, manufactured or fully refurbished, and markets that device under its name or 
trademark ; (Article 2(30)).  
Notified Body - means a conformity assessment body designated in accordance with the MDR (Article 
2(42)).  
Placing on the market  - means the first making available of a device, other than an investigational device, 
on the Union market (Article 2(28)).  
Post-market surveillance - means all activities carried out by manufacturers in cooperation with other 
economic op erators to institute and keep up to date a systematic procedure to proactively collect and 
review experience gained from devices they place on the market, make available on the market or put into 
service for the purpose of identifying any need to immediate ly apply any necessary corrective or 
preventive actions (Article 2(60)).  
Risk - means the combination of the probability of occurrence of harm and the severity of that harm 
(Article 2(23)).  
Serious incident  - means any incident that directly or indirectly led, might have led or might lead to any of 
the following:  
(a) the death of a patient, user or other person,  
(b) the temporary or permanent serious deterioration of a patient's, user's or other person's state 
of health,  
(c) a serious public health threat; ((Article 2( 65)) 
Serious public health threat -  means an event which could result in imminent risk of death, serious 
deterioration in a person's state of health, or serious illness, that may require prompt remedial action, and 
that may cause significant morbidity or mortality in humans, or that is unusual or unexpected for the 
given place and time (Article 2(66)) . 
Unique Device Identifier (UDI) - means a series of numeric or alphanumeric characters that is created 
through internationally accepted device identification  and coding standards and that allows unambiguous 
identification of specific devices on the market (Article 2(15)).  
User - means any healthcare professional or lay person who uses a device  (Article 2(37)).  
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 Placing Class I medical devices on the market:  
The necessary steps  
Manufacturers that intend to place Class I medical devices on the market must guarantee compliance 
with all the requirements below. Please note that some of the described requirements are inter -dependent 
and can be performed in a differe nt order than the one presented.  
For Class I devices already placed on the market in accordance with the MDD, the manufacturer will 
conduct a gap analysis in order to guarantee that all the necessary requirements outlined below are fully 
completed at the d ate of the application of MDR.  
0) Integrate MDR in the Quality Management System (QMS).  
The applicable provisions of the MDR will be integrated into the QMS of the manufacturer. This will 
allow the correct assessment/decision to be made and  the proper documented evidence to be created, 
ensuring compliance with the following requirements.  
1) Confirm product as a medical device  
Confirm that the product qualifies as a medical device as defined in Article 2(1) in accordance with its 
intended purpose and principal mode of action. If the manufacturer assigns several different intended 
purposes to their product, not all of which fall under the scope of the MDR, such a product qualifies as a 
medical device only with respect to those intended medical purposes which are covered by Article 2(1). 
This is applicable, for instance, for the case of examination gloves that are intended by the manufacturer 
to be used to protect the patient (medical purpose - MD) and also to protect the healthcare professional 
(protecti on purpose – PPE9). In that case the relevant requirements of both legislations will be applicable.  
In the case of accessories to medical devices, despite not being medical devices per se, they are covered 
by MDR provisions and fall under the term “device”  in the meaning of the MDR. However, accessories 
to devices covered by the MDR by virtue of its Annex XVI are not covered by the MDR.  
For borderline  products where such a determination could be difficult, please consult primarily the 
information10 available  on the European Commission website. Your CA may be able to provide 
guidance on where to find published information and regulatory requirements.  
2) Confirm product as a Class I medical device  
Consult Annex VIII of the MDR to confirm that the product is correc tly classified as Class I. It should be 
noted that some Class I devices according to MDD will be reclassified under the MDR considering the 
new classification rules of that annex, this is the case for most software (rule 11) and devices that are 
composed o f substances or of combination of substances (rule 21) . 
For devices that were reclassified from Class I to higher risk classes by application of the MDR, the 
present guideline cannot be applied.   
The application of the classification rules will be governe d by the intended purpose of the device and 
                                                      
9  Directive 89/686/EEC is repealed with effect from 21 April 2018 by Regulation (EU) 2016/425  
10  Guidelines available on  https://ec.europa.eu/health/md_sector/new_regulations/guidance_en   Class I Guidance MDCG MSWG  - MDCG  2019 -15 rev1  
 
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 their inherent risks linked to the duration of use, part of the body, whether it is active or not, whether it is 
invasive or non -invasive.  
If more than one rule according to Annex VIII applies to the intended pur poses of the device, the highest 
classification applies to the device, i.e. it must be classified on the basis of the most critical specified 
use. 
For classification issues, please primarily consult the information11 available on the European 
Commission web site. Your CA may be able to provide guidance on where to find published information 
and regulatory requirements.  
3) Procedures before placing on the market  
a) Meet the general safety and performance requirements  
The devices will meet the general safety and per formance requirements  set out in Annex I of the MDR 
which apply to them, taking into account the purposes intended by their manufacturers.  
Particular attention will be given to devices that are also machinery, within the meaning of Article 2(2), 
point (a) , Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC12, where the relevant requirements of that directive will also 
be covered given their specificity (according to Article 1(12)).  
The manufacturer will establish and implement a risk management system, which will allow for the  
identification and analysis of the hazards associated with each device, estimation and evaluation of the 
associated risks, elimination or control of residual risks and evaluation of the adopted measures based on 
the information collected from the post -market surveillance system.  
The risk management will be understood as a continuous iterative process throughout the entire lifecycle 
of a device, requiring regular systematic updating. To carry out this process the manufacturer can find 
solutions in common sp ecifications, or in harmonised standards, published in the Official Journal of the 
European Union, or in other referential materials. Where a harmonised standard exists but the 
manufacturer is following other referential, the application of that referentia l should guarantee at least 
the same level of safety and performance. Conformity with the relevant harmonized standards will 
provide presumption of conformity with the requirements of the MDR covered by those standards or 
parts thereof.  Where common speci fications are available the manufacturer is obliged to follow them 
unless they can duly justify that they have adopted a solution at least with the same level of safety and 
performance.  
The risk management, clinical evaluation processes and PMS will be inter-dependent and will be 
periodically updated.  
b) Conduct clinical evaluation  
All devices, regardless of risk classification, require a clinical evaluation as part of the technical 
documentation requirements of the MD R13. 
The manufacturer will specify and justify the level of clinical evidence necessary to demonstrate 
                                                      
11  Guidelines available on  https://ec.europa.eu/health/md_sector/new_regulations/guidance_en%20   
12  Directive 2006/42/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  17  May 2006  on  machinery, and amending 
Directive  95/16/EC (OJ  L 157, 9.6.2006,  p. 24) 
13  For further, see Annex II of the MDR  Class I Guidance MDCG MSWG  - MDCG  2019 -15 rev1  
 
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 conformity with the relevant general safety and performance requirements described in Annex I. That 
level of clinical evidence will be appropriate in view of the characteristics of the device and its intended 
purpose. In order to do that, manufacturers will plan, conduct and document a clinical evaluation in 
accordance with Article 61 and Part A of Annex XIV.  
Guidance on the process of conducting clinical eval uation is also available on the Commission website.14  
Conformity to Annex I requirements can only be assumed when the following items are aligned with each 
other:  
 Risk management;  
 The information materials supplied by the manufacturer, including:  
o labelling ,  
o instructions for use (where required),   
o available promotional materials,  
o any accompanying documents foreseen by the manufacturer;  
 The clinical evaluation (the device description used for the clinical evaluation, other contents of the 
clinical evaluati on report);  
 The available clinical data (such as results of clinical investigations, publications, Post Market 
Surveillance studies, clinical registries, etc.).  
The MDR reinforces the need to consider the following aspects when carrying out a clinical eval uation:  
• Consideration of available alternative treatment options  is required as part of clinical 
evaluation for the MDR15. Whilst the existence of better alternative treatment options does not 
influence the compliance of the device with the MDR, the manufacturer needs to be able to 
justify the clinical benefit of using their device if alternatives are available.  
• The incorpo ration of clinical data  obtained throughout the life cycle of the device from the 
manufacturers post -market clinical follow -up plan and post -market surveillance plan to update 
the clinic al evaluation and documentation16. 
• The acceptability of the benefit -risk ratio  must be based upon sufficient clinical data and  
will be continuously monitored and reassessed from clinical data collected through the post -
mark et surveillance phase. The post -market surveillance plan should incorporate suitable 
indicators and thr eshold values to be used in this reassessment 17. 
If available clinical data are not sufficient to demonstrate compliance with the MDR, further clinical 
data will be obtained or generated by clinical investigations.  
For devices which are currently certifie d with respect to the Directive 93/42/EC, and for which the 
available clinical data are not sufficient to demonstrate compliance with MDR, additional clinical data 
may be obtained by post -market clinical follow -up studies of the device. Sometimes, even dat a from the 
general post -market follow -up might suffice to close the gap18. 
Note : if a clinical investigation is required, then the Member State requires advance notification of the 
proposal and the provisions of Article 62 and Annex XV will be applicable.  
                                                      
14  https://ec.europa.eu/health/md_sector/new_regulations/guidance_en       
15  MDR, Article 61(3)(c)  
16  MDR, Article 61(11)  
17  MDR, Article 61(1) and Annex III 1.1b  
18  An MDCG guidance is intended to be published  on this matter including ‘sufficient clinical da ta’ in 2020 and will be availabl e at the EU 
Commission webpage  Class I Guidance MDCG MSWG  - MDCG  2019 -15 rev1  
 
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 In duly justified and substantiated cases, some Class I devices manufacturers may exceptionally 
demonstrate that the conformity with general safety and performance requirements based on clinical data 
is not deemed appropriate. Such a justification by the m anufacturer must be based upon an evaluation of 
evidence in accordance with Article 61(10).  
The clinical evaluation, risk management processes and PMS will be inter -dependent and will be 
periodically updated.  
c) Prepare technical documentation  
The manufactur er will draw up and keep up to date the technical documentation that demonstrates the 
conformity of their devices with the technical requirements of the MDR. This technical documentation 
must be prepared according to Annex II and III and prior to drawing u p the EU declaration of 
conformity.  
The technical documentation  and, if applicable, its summary, will be drawn up and presented by the 
manufacturer in a clear, organised, readily searchable and unambiguous manner.  
The manufacturer must make the technical d ocumentation available to the CA, the authorised 
representative (when applicable) and NB (when applicable).  
The technical documentation will be prepared following review of the general safety and performance 
requirements  and relevant technical provisions o f the MDR and, if applicable, of the Machinery 
Directive19 and will cover all the relevant aspects from Annex II and III, such as:  
- Rationale for the  qualification as a medical device and  the risk class  attributed.  
- Description and specification  - A general d escription of the device, including its intended 
purpose and intended users/patient population and, if applicable, accessories and variants of the 
product (for example trade names, model numbers, references, sizes). In addition , the Basic 
UDI-DI as per Par t C of Annex VI will be provided.  
- Technical Specifications of the device - Specifications including details of raw materials, 
drawings of components and/or master patterns and any quality control  procedures.  
- Information to be supplied by the manufacturer - Labels on the device and packaging, such  as 
single  unit packaging,  sales  packaging,  transport packaging  in case of specific  management  
conditions and instruction for use (if applicable),  in the languages determined by  the Member  
States  where  the device is envisaged to be sold.  
- Reference to previous generations of the device and to similar devices  - Provide an overview of 
previous generation(s) of the device and similar devices available on the market as ap plicable  
- Design and manufacturing information – Information that allows the understanding of the 
design and manufacturing of a device, including the results of qualifications tests and design 
calculations relevant to the intended use of the product, includ ing connections to other devices 
in order for it to operate as intended. If the manufacturer can provide information showing that 
a safe design has been established for a number of years and that product has been performing 
as intended during that time suc h information is likely to be sufficient to cover this  
                                                      
19  According to Article 1 (12)  Class I Guidance MDCG MSWG  - MDCG  2019 -15 rev1  
 
15 
 requirement. The identification of all sites, suppliers and sub -contractors, where design and 
manufacturing activities are performed will also be included.  
- General safety and performance requirements – information for the demonstration of 
conformity with the general safety and performance requirements, set out in Annex I. In order 
to do this, the manufacturer will refer to all the methods and solutions used for conformity 
demonstration with each safety and performance requirement, including harmonised standards 
and/or common specifications (CS). The same applies for the requirements contained in the 
Machinery Directive.  
- Demonstration of conformity  with the requirements set out in Annex I should typically be 
presented in the form of a checklist. This should list all requirements referred to in Annex I and 
specify:  
(1) the applicability of each requirement to the device,  
(2) the solution adopted by the man ufacturer to comply with each applicable requirement,  
(3) the reference to any possible CS or harmonized standards applied in full or in part and  
(4) the reference to where to find evidence of the solution adopted in the technical 
documentation.  
Manufacturers wil l list the relevant harmonised standards (concerning for example sterilisation, 
labelling and information to be supplied with the device, biocompatibility, specific groups of 
products) which have been applied in full or in part. If harmonised standards hav e not been 
applied in full, additional data will be required and provided detailing remaining solutions 
adopted to meet the concerned requirements.  
Information on standards harmonised under the MDR will be made available in the Official 
Journal of the Euro pean Union.  
Changes on the harmonised standards used to demonstrate the conformity of device will be 
adequately taken into account in a timely manner.  
Please note that no standard harmonized under the Directive 93/42/EC, has ever covered all the 
requirements of the Annex I to that Directive. Hence,  it is not likely that any one standard 
harmonized under the MDR will cover all the requirements of the Anne x I to the MDR. The 
scope of coverage is indicated in the so -called Annex Z to the European “EN” standard. The 
scope of coverage is never to be found in the ISO or IEC standard text.  
- Benefit -risk analysis (sections 1 and 8 of Annex I) and Risk management ( section 3 of Annex I).  
- Pre-clinical and Clinical evaluation data – Information to be provided on the results from pre -
clinical and clinical evaluation.  
- The post -market surveillance system  - The technical documentation on post -market surveillance 
to be dr awn up by the manufacturer in accordance with Articles 83 to 85 will be presented in a 
clear, organized, readily searchable and unambiguous manner. It shall address and cover the 
elements of point 1.1 of Annex III. The plan will cover  the post -market clini cal follow up plan as 
referred to in part B of Annex XIV or a justification as to why it is not applicable. The PMS 
report of article 85 shall be part of the technical documentation on post -market surveillance.  
  Class I Guidance MDCG MSWG  - MDCG  2019 -15 rev1  
 
16 
 - Records  - Manufacturers will keep the techn ical documentation, the EU declaration of 
conformity and, if applicable, a copy of any relevant certificate, including any amendments and 
supplements, issued in accordance with Article 56, available for the competent authorities for a 
period of at least 10  years after the last device covered by the EU declaration of conformity has 
been placed on the market (Article 10(8)).  
Availability of documentation  – In case of request by the CA, the manufacturer will provide the required 
technical documentation in an official Union language determined by the Member State concerned 
(Article 10(14)).  
d)  Request Notified Body involvement  
In the case of devices placed on the market in sterile condition, having a measuring function or being 
reusable surgical instruments, the manufacturer will apply the procedures set out in Chapters I and III of 
Annex IX, or in Part A of Annex XI of MDR. This requires the involvement of a NB. In all other cases 
the intervention of a NB is not required for Class I devices. If involvement of  the NB is needed it is 
limited:  
- In the case of devices placed on the market in sterile condition, to the aspects of manufacture 
concerned with securing and maintaining sterile  conditions;  
- In the case of devices with a measuring function, to the aspects of man ufacture concerned with 
the conformity of the devices with the metrological  requirements;  
- In the case of reusable surgical instruments20,  to the aspects relating to the reuse of the device, in 
particular cleaning, disinfection, sterilization, maintenance a nd functional testing and the related 
instructions for use.  
Manufacturers can choose any NB designated according to the MDR for the relevant codes and 
corresponding types of devices as established by Regulation (EU) 2017/2185 (code MDS 1005 for 
“Devices in  sterile condition”, code MDS 1006 for “Reusable surgical instruments” and code MDS 1010 
for “Devices with a measuring function”) . The list of designated NBs is available in the NANDO 
database at the following link: http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools -databases/nando/  
Please note that notification under the Directive 93/42/EC, become s void after the application of the MDR 
on the 26 May 202 1.  Hence, it is necessary to consult the NANDO database for the MDR.  
e) Prepare Instructions for Use and Labelling  
Each device must be accompanied by any safety and performance information needed to use it safely 
and to identify the device as well as the manufacturer and/or the authorised representative, taking 
account of the training and knowledge of the potential users. This information comprises the label, 
device packaging and the data in the instructions for use. By way of derogation to the general principles, 
no instructions for use are required for Class I de vices if they can be used properly and safely without 
such instruction. An exception is most likely posed for Class Ir devices as reprocessing (cleaning and 
sterilization) will require an instruction.  
The requirements regarding the information to be suppl ied with the device will be found in Annex I, 
Chapter III (23). In the labelling and instructions for use as well as in promotional materials of the 
device, the manufacturer may not (Article 7):  
                                                      
20  Please also note that involvement of a Notified Body in the case of reusable surgical instruments is a new requirement under the MDR, which 
did not exist under the MDD. Manufacturers of such products are advised to take this into consideration for their pl ans to meet the provisions 
of the MDR before its application on the 26 May 202 1. Class I Guidance MDCG MSWG  - MDCG  2019 -15 rev1  
 
17 
 - Ascribe functions and properties to the device which the devi ce does not have;  
- Create a false impression regarding treatment or diagnosis, functions or properties which the 
device does not have;  
- Fail to inform the user or the patient of a likely risk associated with the use of the device in line 
with its intended purpose;  
- Suggest uses for the device other than those stated to form part of the intended purpose for 
which the conformity assessment was carried out.  
National language requirements must be taken into account in relation to the labelling and instructions 
for use. Versions of labelling  and IFU ( in each of the relevant national languages) will be included in the 
technical documentation.  
Note : According to Article 16(2), a distributor or importer may provide a translation of the information 
provided according to Section 23 of Annex I. The manufacturer will be informed about the intended 
translation and receive a copy 28 days prior to the date of making the device available in the respective 
country. It is advisable to perform a review of the translation, as a w rong or misleading translation can 
cause harm to patients or others, leading to possible liability of the manufacturer.  
Where appropriate, the information supplied by the manufacturer will take the form of internationally 
recognised symbols. Any symbol or identification colour used will conform to harmonised standards or 
common specifications (CS). In areas for which no harmonised standards or CS exist, the symbols and 
colours will be described in the documentation supplied with the device.  
The label should  have the indication that the product is a “medical device”.  
4) Check compliance with general obligations for manufacturers  
Before placing a device on the market, the manufacturer will make sure to comply with the general 
obligations for manufacturers as est ablished in Article 10.  
Special attention will be given to the establishment of an appropriate QMS that will ensure compliance 
with the MDR in the most effective manner, for example by means of an internal audit. The QMS will 
be documented, implemented, m aintained, kept up to date and continually improved and will cover at 
least the following aspects:  
a) a strategy for regulatory compliance;  
b) identification of applicable general safety and performance requirements and exploration of 
options to address those requirements;  
c) responsibility of the management;  
d) resource management, including selection and control of suppliers and sub -contractors;  
e) risk management;  
f) clinical evaluation, including post market clinical follow -up (PMCF);  
g) product realisation, including planning, design, development, production and service provision;  
h) verification of the UDI assignments;  
i) setting -up, implementation and ma intenance of a post -market surveillance system;  
j) handling communication with competent authorities, notified bodies, other economic operators, 
customers and/or other stakeholders;  
k) processes for reporting of serious incidents and field safety corrective ac tions in the context of 
vigilance;  
l) management of corrective and preventive actions and verification of their effectiveness;  
m) processes for monitoring and measurement of output, data analysis and product improvement.  Class I Guidance MDCG MSWG  - MDCG  2019 -15 rev1  
 
18 
 The QMS will be established at least in  parallel, if not prior to chapter 3 a) and 3 b) as described in this 
guidance note.  
Natural or legal persons may claim compensation for damage caused by a defective device in 
accordance with applicable Union and national law. Therefore, manufacturers sha ll, in a manner that is 
proportionate to the risk class, type of device and size of the enterprise, have measures in place to 
provide sufficient financial coverage in respect of their potential liability under Directive 85/374/EEC, 
without prejudice to mor e protective measures under national law.  
5)  Draw -up the EU Declaration of Conformity  
The EU declaration of conformity, referred to in Article 19, is the procedure whereby the manufacturer, 
who fulfils the obligations imposed by Article 52(7), declares that the devices concerned fulfil the 
requirements of the MDR which apply to them. The declaration of conformity will contain as a 
minimum all information referred to in Annex IV and will be available to the CA.  
The manufacturer will continuously update the EU declaration of conformity and will translate it into an 
official union language or languages required by Member States in which the device is made available.  
If, in addition to the MDR, a device is covered by other Union legislation which also requires an EU 
declaration of conformity, the manufacturers will elaborate a single EU declaration of conformity where 
all the Union legislation applied to the product are referred to.  
By drawing up the EU declaration of conformity the manufacturer assumes the respon sibility for the 
regulatory compliance of the device with all Union legislation applicable to it.  
Before affixing a CE mark, for class Ir, Im and Is devices, the manufacturer will have an EC certificate 
issued by NB according to the Annex IX, Chapter I and III, or to Annex XI, Part A.  
6)  Affix the CE marking  
All Class I medical devices placed on the mar ket will bear the CE marking of conformity, which will be 
affixed in a visible, legible and indelible form on the device or on its sterile packaging. Where such 
affixing is not possible or not warranted on account of the nature of the device, the CE markin g shall be 
affixed to the packaging. The CE marking shall also appear  on the instructions for use, as well as on any 
sales packaging.  
In the case of Class I medical devices placed on the market in a sterile condition and/or devices with 
measuring function  and/or reusable surgical instruments, the CE marking will be accompanied by the 
identification number of the relevant NB.  
It is prohibited to affix marks which are likely to mislead third parties with regard to the meaning of the 
CE marking. Other additio nal marks may be affixed to the device, to the packaging or the instructions 
for use, but must not impair the visibility or legibility of the CE marking.  
The CE marking format will be in compliance with Annex V. Where the device is very small the 
minimum d imensions of the CE mark may be waived.  
  Class I Guidance MDCG MSWG  - MDCG  2019 -15 rev1  
 
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 7) Registration of devices and manufacturers in Eudamed  
Before placing a device on the market, the manufacturer of a Class I medical device will register the 
device in Eudamed.  
In order to register the device, the manufacturer will submit to the electronic system referred to in 
Article 30 the information referred to in Section 1 of Part A of Annex VI, provided that they have not 
already been registered in accordance with Article 31. In cases where the conformity ass essment 
procedure requires the involvement of a NB pursuant to Article 52, the information referred to in 
Section 1 of Part A of Annex VI will be provided to that electronic system before applying to the NB.  
After having verified the data about the manufac turer, the CA will validate it in Eudamed and the 
manufacturer will obtain a SRN from said electronic system.  
The manufacturer will use the SRN when applying to a NB for conformity assessment and for accessing 
Eudamed in order to fulfil its obligations und er Article 29.  
Note: Authorised representatives and importers are also required to register to get an SRN in order to 
access Eudamed and provide data, as appropriate  
The registration of a device in Eudamed by the manufacturer includes:  
 Assignment of a UDI -DI (with a Basic UDI -DI) as defined in Part C of Annex VI to the device 
(in accordance with the rules of the issuing entity referred to in Article 27(2) and introduction of 
the UDI -DI (with a Basic UDI -DI) to the UDI database together with the other core d ata elements 
referred to in Part B of Annex VI related to that device.  
 Entering, or if already provided, verifying in Eudamed the information referred to in Section 2 of 
Part A of Annex VI, with the exception of Section 2.2 thereof, and thereafter keeping the 
information updated.  
If the manufacturer has its devices designed or manufactured by another legal or natural person, the 
information on the identity of that person will be part of the information (Section 2.13 of Part A of 
Annex VI) to be submitted to  Eudamed before the registration of the device.  
Note 1  – The Unique Device Identification system will allow the identification and facilitate the 
traceability of devices (as referred on Article 27). [Special attention will be given to point 11 of Article 
27]. 
Note 2  – The Basic UDI -DI as defined in Part C of Annex VI is the primary identifier of a device model. 
It is the main key for records in the UDI database and is referenced in relevant certificates and EU 
declarations of conformity21. 
Note 3 – For Class I devices placed on the market according to MDD, afte r the date of application of 
MDR manufacturers will have in consideration the guidance documents applicable to legacy devices 
timelines22 and registration in Eudamed23. 
                                                      
21  For more information on the Basic UDI -DI, please refer to https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/28667   
22  See at EU Commission webpage the relevant guidance on timelines for registration of device data elements in EUDAMED23  See at EU 
Commission webpage the relevant guidance on the registration of legacy devices in EUDAMED  
23  See at EU Commission webpage the relevant guidance on the registration of legacy devices in EUDAMED  Class I Guidance MDCG MSWG  - MDCG  2019 -15 rev1  
 
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   Class I Guidance MDCG MSWG  - MDCG  2019 -15 rev1  
 
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 All devices including legacy devices of the manufacturer portfolio which are placed on the market or put 
into service will have to be registered in Eudamed.  However, until Eudamed is fully functional the 
manufacturer of a Class I medical device, or, where the manufacturer has no place of business in the EU, 
its authorised representative must  inform the CA of the country in which they have their registered place 
of business and provide a description of the device that is sufficient to identify it. The manufacturer or 
its authorised representative will contact their relevant CA for the required  procedures and forms 
required for such notifications. A fee might be applicable.  
8) Post Market Surveillance (PMS)  
After placing the Class I device on the market, the manufacturer will follow the next PMS steps:  
a) Review experience gained from Post -Market Sur veillance  
The manufacturer will put in place the required post market surveillance (PMS) system and actively 
keep this PMS up to date in accordance with Article 83 of MDR. This includes actively and regularly 
collecting the user experience from devices on the market, reviewing these and ensuring timely 
implementation of any necessary corrective action, taking account of the nature and risks in relation to 
the product.  In addition, there should be an evaluation of whether the intended benefits are achieved a nd 
whether the benefit -risk profile stays positive.  The manufacturer will involve the distributors of the 
device and where applicable, the authorised representative and importers of the device in this system, in 
order to obtain the relevant  information from the market.  
This system will be part of the QMS, and be supported by the manufacturer’s PMS plan, which must 
address a range of information (Annex III), such as information from the vigilance context, information 
from trending and trend reporting, inf ormation and data on any undesirable side -effects, information 
from reports, complaints and incidents, provided by users and economic operators, related to the device. 
Moreover, the manufacturer will gather and assess the relevant information such as techn ical literature, 
databases, registers review and public information for the device itself as well as for similar devices 
already present on the market.  
A PMS report will be prepared according to Article 85, summarizing the results and conclusions of the 
analysis of all of the data from the market. This report will be updated when necessary, for example  the 
intended benefits are not achieved or there is a change in the benefit -risk balance. The report can be 
requested by the CA at any time.  
Data gathered from PMS system must be used to actively update the clinical evaluation, benefit -risk 
determination, improve risk management, as well as other technical documentation on a regular basis.  
b) Vigilance   
The manufacturer is responsible for reporting all serious incidents and field safety corrective actions 
(FSCA) to the relevant CAs, according to Article 87 (1) of the MDR. After serious incident notification, 
the manufacturer is obliged to make investigations, according to Article 89, which will include a risk 
assessment of the incident. If needed, a FSCA will be implemented in order to reduce the risk associated 
with the use of the device.  
The manufacturer will involve the distributors of the device and, where applicable, the authorised 
representative and import ers in the system, in order to obtain the information needed from the market, 
especially for FSCA and issued field safety notices (FSN) to ensure that required actions are followed 
and completed in a timely manner.  Class I Guidance MDCG MSWG  - MDCG  2019 -15 rev1  
 
22 
 When Eudamed is available, serious incide nts and FSCAs will be submitted via this electronic system 
only.  
Manufacturers will report any serious incident immediately after they have established the causal 
relationship between that incident and their device or that such a causal relationship is re asonably 
possible.  
The timeframe to report serious incidents must not exceed the following upper limits:  
 In the event of a serious public health threat, a report will be submitted not later than 2 days 
after becoming aware of the threat. (Article 87 (4))  
 In the event of death or an unanticipated deterioration in a person’s state of health a report will 
be submitted not later than 10 days after becoming aware of the serious incident. (Article 87 
(5)) 
 In all other cases not later than 15 days after becoming aware of the serious incident (Article 87 
(3)) 
Where necessary to ensure timely reporting of serious incidents, the manufacturer may submit an initial 
report that is incomplete followed up by a complete report. If, after becoming aware of a potentially 
reportable incident, the manufacturer is uncertain about whether the incident is reportable, it shall 
nevertheless submit a report. Serious incidents will be reported only to the competent authority of the 
country in which the serious incident occurred via Eu damed.  
The manufacturer will provide a final report to that competent authority via Eudamed setting out its 
findings from the investigation. The report will set out conclusions and - where relevant - indicate 
corrective actions to be taken.  
When the compet ent authority notifies a manufacturer of a suspected serious incident, communicated to 
the competent authority by a healthcare professional, patient or user, the manufacturer is obliged to:  
 submit a report of this serious incident to the notifying competen t authority via Eudamed within 
the timeframes described above;  
 submit an explanatory statement, to the competent authority, if the manufacturer believes the 
suspected serious incident does not fulfil the reporting criteria.  
In case the competent authority disagrees with the explanatory statement provided by the manufacturer a 
report of the serious incident may be required to be provided to the competent authority that does not 
agree via Eudamed by the manufacturer.  
If a FSCA is undertaken, manufacturers wil l without unnecessary delay report the field safety corrective 
action via Eudamed in advance of the carrying out of the FSCA unless urgency demands the 
manufacturer to undertake the actions immediately.  
Manufacturers will ensure that the information relate d to the FSCA is brought without delay to the 
attention of users of the device in question by means of a FSN. Except in cases of urgency, the content 
of the draft FSN will be submitted to the evaluating competent authority or to the coordinating 
competent authority to allow it to make comments. Unless duly justified by the situation of the 
individual Member State, the content of the field safety notice will be consistent in all Member States. 
Manufacturers will also report the FSN(s) to Eudamed.  
  Class I Guidance MDCG MSWG  - MDCG  2019 -15 rev1  
 
23 
 The FSN w ill allow the correct identification of the manufacturer ( by including the, if issued, SRN), the 
device or devices affected (by including the relevant UDIs) and the FSN will explain, in a clear manner, 
without understating the level of risk, the reasons fo r the FSCA. This includes a clear reference to the 
device deficiency and the associated risks for patients, users or other persons and will clearly indicate all 
action to be taken by the users.  
Manufacturers will report by the means of a trend report to Eudamed any statistically significant 
increase in the frequency or severity of incidents that are not serious incidents or that are expected 
undesirable side -effects, when it could have a significant impact on the benefit -risk analysis and which 
have led o r may lead to risks to the health or safety of patients, users or other persons that are 
unacceptable when weighed against the intended benefits.  
Manufacturers will, if they exist, follow national provisions in the field of vigilance specifically in but 
not limited to the case of field safety corrective actions:  
 The allowed languages used to communicate with users by means of the Field Safety Notice.  
Manufacturers are asked to check if templates exist (on European Commission website) on any of the 
reporta ble forms and make sure that all the necessary information according to these templates is 
provided. This will be only applicable until Eudamed is available.  
Manufacturers should keep concerned economic operators informed of reported serious incidents and 
FSCA activities.  
c) Non-conforming  products  
If a manufacturer has reasons to believe that a device which they have placed on the market or put into 
service is not in conformity with the MDR they will immediately take the necessary corrective action to 
bring t hat device into conformity, to withdraw it or to recall it, as appropriate. The manufacturer will 
inform the distributors of the device in question and, if applicable, the authorised representative and 
importers. If the device presents a serious risk, the manufacturer will immediately inform the competent 
authorities of the Member States in which the manufacturer made the device available and, where 
applicable, the notified body that issued a certificate for the device, in particular, of the non -compliance 
and of any corrective action taken.