opinion BITA l
Getting tough on Market Surveillance
The European Commission is holding firm in its resolve to keep non-compliant products out of the EU market, announcing a Common Industry Platform for Market Surveillance at the end of November 2011. BITA’s Technical Consultant, Bob Hine IEng MIMechE, reports from the launch event.
T
he Conference on Market Surveillance and Machinery, held in Brussels, brought together over 300 key players – from market surveillance and customs agencies, trade union members, and industry – to share best practice, discuss issues, and provide support. The conference provided a snapshot of the work achieved to date since the implementation of the New Machinery Directive over two years ago. It was led by the EC in conjunction with Orgalime (the European Engineering Industries Association) and European Sector Associations in the machinery sector. The latter included the Fédération Européenne de la Manutention (FEM), in which BITA is an active participant.
If the EU does not implement effective market surveillance, compliant manufacturers become uncompetitive.
Although a significant proportion of the event was devoted to demonstrating the progress that has been made, the main focus was on building a common purpose amongst the delegates, to improve market surveillance and keep working towards eliminating non- compliance in their own Member States. This is not just petty bureaucracy. If the EU does not implement effective market surveillance, compliant manufacturers become uncompetitive, and this will damage the European economy and job market. More importantly, if non- compliant equipment remains on sale and in use within the EU, this also dilutes the Directive’s important objectives of improving safety and sustainability.
Common Industry Platform Faced with the challenge of
24 ShD January 2012
www.PressOnShD.com
implementing effective pan-EU market surveillance, industry has responded by launching a new Common Industry Platform for Market Surveillance. This is represented by a new website* which supports operators and market surveillance authorities by providing the technical documentation needed to identify non-compliant equipment, and the contact details of EU associations tasked with promoting market surveillance.
The website includes all of the latest information on market surveillance, plus valuable guidance notes on how manufacturers can comply with EU directives on safety, noise,
electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and pollution/emissions. Classified by sector – including materials handling – it will provide complete transparency for all interested parties. This is a particularly valuable resource for end-users, who ultimately are responsible for demonstrating compliance, for example by appropriate procurement procedures. The site gives users direct access to all of the necessary materials for essential reference.
Next steps
It was clear from discussions on the day that the EU Member States are taking serious efforts to assure the delivery of safe product – but there is still work to do. For example, we expect to see greater harmonisation in the way that Member States operate market surveillance, plus more effective information sharing. But speakers at the conference took care to note that this fresh initiative is not intended to prohibit imports into the EU from any particular country; more simply, it is intended to keep all non-compliant products out.
To work effectively, market surveillance needs to stop non-compliant products from crossing the border of any EU state. Accordingly the EU will be establishing guidelines for everyone and anyone who is responsible for importing machinery: end users, suppliers, distributors, as well as manufacturers. There already exists the Rapid Alert System for Non-Food Products (RAPEX)** which will be extended to non-consumer products and other risk categories not related to Health & Safety and a very strong group (ADCO) representing government and regulators from each member state, which collectively shares information about non-compliant machinery that may have entered (or attempted to enter) one or more Member States.
Obligations on importers and distributors are much more stringent than they once were. Technical documentation must be made available that traces the entire line of distribution from producer to end-user. Purchasing managers will need to ensure that they have asked for confirmation of compliance before they agree a contract with a supplier. One way this could work in practice is by adding to the contract of sale a clause confirming compliance with the Machinery Directive.
Shared responsibility
It is now up to each Member State to enforce market surveillance in various different ways, including border controls and a requirement for more detailed documentation from importers. Working in parallel, trade associations such as BITA and FEM will continue to play their role by highlighting the requirements and obligations the legislation places on the user – as well as its benefits. ●
www.bita.org.uk
*
http://machinery-surveillance.eu **
http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/dyna/rapex/create_rapex.cfm?rx_id=355
opinion
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68