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Enforcement and Product Safety

Dirk H. MeijerImmediate Past President of PROSAFEProject leader of the EMARS projectChairman of ICPSCRegional Director SouthwestFood and Consumer Product Safety AuthorityThe Netherlands

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April 19, 2023

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Contents of the Presentation

-Role of the players in the field-Harmonisation of Legislation-Harmonisation of Market Surveillance

- PROSAFE- EMARS- ICPSCConclusions

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Marketsurveillance and ResponsabilitiesProducers

– Placing safe products on the market

Consumers– Using a product safely

Government– Determining safety criteria and enforcement of

legislation.

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Harmonised Legislation

The European Commission made an enormous effort in establishing a harmonised system of Legislation in the EUThe efforts in setting up harmonised regulations will be hardly effective if the enforcement will not be harmonised

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PROSAFE

• Informal organisation since 1991• Market Surveillance Organisations• Throughout Europe• Safety of Consumer Products• 2002 Legal entity as Dutch “Stichting”• 2007 Recognized by the EC as formal applicant

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PROSAFE

• Provides, collects and exchanges information on dangerous products

• Encourages and enhances cooperation in product safety

• Improves market surveillance

• Develops understanding and practical solutions of common problems

• Builds mutual confidence in product safety issues

April 19, 2023

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The aim of PROSAFE:

effective, efficient, and fair enforcement in Europe

Members: Market Surveillance and Enforcement Organisations in

EU, Candidate countries, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland

OBSERVERS:

European Commission / EFTA / ANEC / Eurosafe / Business organisations

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PROSAFE Project EMARS 2006 - 2008:

Enhancing Marketsurveillance through Best PracticeCore Objective:

Basic level of best practice techniques & cross-sharing of information

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Foreseen outcome of project

Knowledge base Advise body Handbook best practise techniques Handbook risk assessment Strategy document Improvement of market surveillance

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International cooperation between regulators

ICPSC: The International Consumer Product Safety Caucus

GlobalInformal networkLinked with Prosafe

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International cooperation between regulators Objectives:

High level of consumer product safety– developing cooperation arrangements– facilitate surveillance and enforcement – exchanging information on best practices – identifying common needs – guidelines for international standards.

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Future Developments

-Future Developments of Prosafe

-EMARS II

-Joint Actions- Playground equipment (Poland)- Lighting Chains (Hungary)- Lighters- Sunbeds- Toys- Cords and draw strings

-Collaborative Studies

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Conclusions

Within Europe we are on the brink of a structurized approach on Market Surveillance and Enforcement on a harmonized European Level.

Globally we can see the start of an analogous development