General product safety

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Enforcement of consumer protection Thessaloniki,
22-23 November 2004
General product safety The role of consumer
organisations
Tania Vandenberghe ANEC Programme Manager
www.anec.org
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All products must be safe!
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Market surveillance

• Why are consumer associations involved?
• How are consumer associations involved?
• Benefits of their involvement

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Market surveillance

• Manufacturers are responsible for the safety
• of their products
• Standardisation sets the criteria for safety
• Government is responsible for market
• surveillance

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Insert picture of pinguine (TV)
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Unsafe products induce a loss of consumer
confidence!
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Product safety

• cannot be left to government and
• industry alone
• consumer organisations have to be
• involved

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How are consumers involved?

• On behalf of government
• Independent watch-dog through
• comparative product testing

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Lesson to be learned

• Product testing can show deficiencies in
• market surveillance
• Consumers need information to make
• informed choices
• Need for a watch-dog in the system

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International collaboration

• Comparative testing is expensive
• Hence consumer organisations seek
• international collaboration ICRT

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Standardisation

• Consumer participation is essential
• Lobby to improve access by consumers
• Relationships to help advise and support
• Cooperation at European level (ANEC)

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ANEC

• Represents and defends consumer interests
• in standardisation
• Funded by European Commission and EFTA
• Provides technical expertise based on
• Europe-wide network of 200 experts

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Areas of priority

• Child Safety
• Design for All
• Domestic Appliances
• Environment
• Information Society
• Services
• Traffic Safety

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Research is key
Consumer positions are based on scientific
evidence
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Example Traffic safety

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Why is ANECs work important?

• Standards affect us all every day everywhere
• Regulatory role of standards in EU (comple-
  menting legislation)
• Weak consumer participation at national
  level in 10 out of 18 European countries

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What do consumer organisations expect from
market surveillance?
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• Consumer protection as the guiding
• principle
• Sanctions for violation of safety laws
• Improved efficiency
• More resources
• Transparency

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• Av. de Tervueren 36
• B-1040 Bruxelles
• phone [phone]
• e-mail anec_at_anec.org
• internet www.anec.org