Brussels, 31/03/2000 (Agence Europe) - When presenting to the European Parliaments plenary session the modification that the Commission proposes to bring to Directive 92/59/EC on the General Product Safety (see EUROPE of 3 February, p.12), Commissioner David Byrne said he was convinced that the amended text fulfilling the EU objective of guaranteeing to its consumers a high level of health and safety, while insure the good functioning of the internal market.
"The idea behind the present Directive is simple: that only safe products - food or industrial products - are placed on the market, and this means European products as well as imports," he reminded. Though he underlined the existence of certain weaknesses in the implementation of the Directive - weaknesses that the proposed modification intends to correct. The Commission initiative mainly aims to:
1) Clarify the scope of the Directive fighting the possible fallbacks of the sectoral legislation in terms of market control and the procedures for marketing;
2) To insure that the Directive gave the best coverage possible to products used by consumers, including the so-called "professional" products, that have passed into personal use (eg Laser pointers) or products which are used to provide a services (eg the hair dryer used in the hair salon or the equipment used in a gym centre);
3) Increase the system's efficiency by assigning additional obligations for producers and distributors to provide information to the consumer. "I think it is incredible that, for example, that the Swedish authorities were informed by the US that a certain IKEA product was dangerous for the consumers. The notification is compulsory in the US, but not so far in the EU," exclaimed the Commissioner. The strengthening of market surveillance by Member States and the improvement of the rapid alert system managed by the Commission will also help the efficiency. To that end, the rapid alert system will be extended to the measures of to cover voluntary measures taken by the industry to withdraw the dangerous product from the market and the possibility of opening the system to third countries, in particular the candidate for accession countries. The simplification of procedures for adopting emergency measures at Community level and the introduction of an export ban for products withdrawn at Community level will complement the provision;
4) Improve transparency, which supposes, the Commissioner observed, that professional secrecy, guaranteed to the Community producers by Article 287 of the Treaty, will be effective before the informing of the consumer when public health is at stake. "The citizens have the right to know what real dangers they are exposed to and what are the measures taken to protect them," concluded David Byrne.
This summer's proposal was, on the whole, favourably accepted by the MEPs. Several questions where raised, notably relating to: the consultations with candidate countries for accession and the possibility of accelerating the market withdrawal process for dangerous products (Mr. Walter); the consequences for employment; hinging with the common agricultural policy; the opportunity to organise a huge debate with civil society in a form of European Forum.
The parliament will examine the new proposals in detail as soon as they have been officially handed over.