The first inter-institutional negotiation meeting between the Council and the European Parliament on the regulation on the mutual recognition of non-harmonised (or partly harmonised) goods has been set for 24 September.
The negotiations are expected to take place without too many hindrances, EUROPE is told, given that the positions of the Council and European Parliament – which voted on the report by Ivan Štefanec (EPP, Slovakia) in its internal market and consumer protection (IMCO) committee (see EUROPE 12087) on Monday 3 September – converge on the main lines.
MEPs have strengthened the possibility for a member state to refuse a good marketed in another member state if that good does not correspond to the national standards in force and when the public interest is at stake. The objective is to avoid certain products (for example containing cannabinoids), which are legal in some member states, being marketed in other member states where they are illegal.
The MEPs have also strengthened the prevention tools provided for in the SOLVIT network (network for resolving problems in the internal market), notably imposing a two-month assessment period on the European Commission to determine the compatibility of an administrative decision with the mutual recognition principle. According to a source, this deadline could push the Commission to consolidate its resources for SOLVIT, which are currently reported to be three people.
In addition, the MEPs have improved the product contact points mechanism, and strengthened administrative cooperation. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)