Subject files - Product Safety and Market Surveillance Package - Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

 

On 17 October 2013 draft reports on Consumer Product Safety and Market Surveillance have been adopted in IMCO Committee by an overwhelming majority. With regard to Market Surveillance of Products the Members agreed to harmonise penalties for infringements of the proposed Regulation to at least offset the economic advantage sought through the infringement as well as to encourage the allocation of revenues collected from such penalties to market surveillance activities. The Committee also called on the Commission to establish a Pan-European Injuries Database. A clear distinction with regard to non-compliant products and products presenting a risk as well as a call on the market surveillance authorities to carry out sample checks on sufficient numbers of products has been established in the final report. With regard to the Consumer Product Safety the Members seek to ensure that the regulation will stand as a safety net for the product legislation and to oblige manufacturers and importers to place a country of origin marking on their products. The Rapporteur furthermore found support for her proposal for an "EU Safety Tested" mark to attest that the product has been tested and found safe by an independent third party.

 

Although the IMCO Committee unanimously approved the mandate to enter trialogue negotiations on both draft reports, due to the developments in the Council no progress has been achieved and the reports were submitted to the 2014 April II plenary. The IMCO reports were adopted by the Plenary on 15 April 2014, however the proposal to introduce a voluntary 'EU Safety Tested' marking was rejected."