The European Parliament in late December began a process aimed at improving compliance of products subject to harmonized EU requirements. It said consumer safety and health are compromised because "a significant part of these products does not comply" with such rules.
A report (bit.ly/2Axlu2E) by the European Parliamentary Research Service for the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee outlined these options:
- Increase market surveillance coordination in the EU by requiring nations to have single, designated liaison officers and setting minimum powers for such officials. Updates also would set up a communication network among these people, designate EU testing facilities, and aim to improve international communication systems.
- Streamline the "mutual assistance mechanism" by which surveillance authorities exchange information. This would include explicitly allowing officials in one nation to use information collected by those in another country without first needing to clear procedural hurdles.
- Require manufacturers to designate staffers or importers responsible for compliance information. The report explains, "This natural or legal person would have to be easily identifiable on the product website or by other means and would be responsible for cooperation with market surveillance authorities should they request it."
- Improve communications with customs officials by requiring "market surveillance authorities to provide the customs authorities with information on categories of products or the identity of economic operators where a higher risk of non-compliance has been identified."
