Many products, such as machinery, are already subject to Community harmonisation legislation, but the new proposals have been designed to strengthen the framework within which products are manufactured and traded. They build upon existing (‘New Approach’) controls to ensure that safe products can circulate freely.
New Approach Directives played an important role in the completion of the Internal Market in goods in 1992 and currently help to regulate some 20% of products traded throughout the EU, worth approximately 1.5 trillion Euros annually. Products regulated under this legislation include electro-technical products, machinery, radio and telecommunications terminal equipment, toys, medical devices, construction products and others.
DTI say that the Proposal for a Regulation will reinforce Market Surveillance structures to protect citizens from unsafe products and strengthen the role of Accreditation for testing, certification and inspection bodies.
The Proposal for a Decision will apply new measures to future directives or existing sectoral directives that are revised or updated. There are also new rules to enhance confidence and trust in CE marking which will help to increase transparency and strengthen the system.
Visit the DTi website for the consultation document or see the attached file.
EEF will not be responding to this proposal formally, since we principally lobby on legislation affecting management, but we suggest manufacturers of machinery in particular, consider the implications for their products and respond to DTI directly.