The European Commission recently announced a
new agreement that strengthens oversight and product controls for products sold
in the EU market area.
The agreement is designed to improve
information-sharing among authorities to facilitate actions against unsafe or
illegal products. It will also help national authorities strengthen product
controls at the external borders and improve checks on products entering the
EU.
Challenges With the Existing
Surveillance and Compliance Framework
According to the European Commission, there
are still significant challenges for businesses and individuals trying to make
the most of the EU Single Market. People who want to do
business in another EU country have trouble finding up-to-date, relevant
information online about local requirements. When they consult national or EU
authorities for assistance, the information provided can be fragmented or
incomplete. Procedures and processes that work in one EU country may not work
in another, presenting more challenges for potential businesses and investors
who want to expand to new parts of the EU market.
In addition, EU laws have not been fully
implemented or enforced in some areas. As of mid-2015, there were over 1,000
compliance infringement proceedings pending in the EU market area. Enforcing EU
compliance regulations is key to building consumers’ and businesses’ confidence
in the EU Single Market.
New Information Sharing Policies
The European Commission adopted two measures
that will improve information-sharing among EU businesses and authorities:
●
Single Digital Gateway: This
online resource will allow anyone to find information about product standards,
rules, procedures, and assistance programs for anyone who wants to live, work,
or do business in another EU country.
●
Single Market Information Tool:
This will establish a single source of truth for important market and business
data, allowing the European Commission to get timely and comprehensive
information from market players.
These measures will allow businesses, as well
as regulatory authorities, to get more complete and accurate information to
resolve compliance issues.
New Market Surveillance Standards
Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 sets out EU-wide
market surveillance procedures for 70 specific regulations and directives. It
is designed to standardize and improve surveillance activities by:
●
Providing consistent information
to businesses to prevent non-compliance
●
Establishing more effective
enforcement measures for online sales
●
Improving cooperation between EU
member countries, between market surveillance and customs authorities, and
among members of the EU product compliance network
The product categories covered by these new
market surveillance standards include (but are not limited to) electronics,
glass, motor vehicles, aerosol dispensers, packaging, fertilizers, medical
devices, batteries, energy products, tobacco products, and radio equipment.
EU Single Market Strategy
The newly strengthened product controls are
part of the EU Single Market Strategy adopted in October
2015. The Single Market Strategy is designed to streamline and standardize the
movement of approved products and services throughout the EU.
The Single Market Strategy is designed to help
the region achieve several goals:
●
Promote balanced development of a
collaborative economy.
●
Help small businesses grow.
●
Improve cross-border economic
opportunities.
●
Prevent discrimination based on
nationality or country of residence.
●
Modernize the product standards
system.
●
Enable more transparency,
efficiency, and accountability in public procurement.
●
Consolidate the intellectual
property framework across the EU.
●
Ensure a culture of compliance and
smart enforcement.
Learn More About the CE Mark and
Changing Product Standards
G&M Compliance is a full-service
compliance solution for the EU market. The compliance experts at G&M
Compliance have a wide range of experience with the CE mark and other European
product certifications.
Contact
G&M Compliance today to learn more about how the new EU
standards affect the CE certification process.