Market surveillance

Market surveillance for products ensures that products on the market are in conformity with the applicable law. This helps foster trust from consumers buying products or financial services. It also ensures consumers or professionals do not get injured or worse from non-compliant products. It helps companies which comply to stay in business and not lose market share to rogue traders.

In the European Union, Member States are responsible for market surveillance. Their action is done under the hat of The European Commission regulations about product safety for consumer products and other regulations for professional products. Regulation 765-2008 applies for consumer products and Regulation 882-2004 applies for food products. For medicines studies are carried out. Toys At European Union level three Directorates General are in charge: Health and consumers, Enterprise and Customs. EFTA is also putting efforts in market surveillance.

Prosafe is an organisation that helps European Market Surveillance authorities cooperate better. The European Commission financially supports its activities. Prosafe is active in training, better communication between Member States and also does Joint Actions (JA) that bring together some Member States to control the same products at the same period, like lighters,lawnmowers or sunbeds.

For consumer goods an information system about dangerous goods has been set up, which is called RAPEX. Every week, one can see which products were voluntarily recalled or which were retrieved from the market by the authorities. RAPEX is one element of the General Product Safety Directive (GPSD) which ensures high level of protection of consumers by stating key elements for the safety of the products.

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Wikipedia