The
Spanish Association for Standardization and the UNE Market Surveillance Observatory held the
meeting: "General Product Safety (GPSR). "Entry into Force of Regulation (EU) 2023/988" on Thursday, 21 November. During this meeting, they presented the new European General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), which comes into force on 13 December, and highlighted the importance of
public-private collaboration in the area of
market surveillance.
This new Regulation aims to ensure a high level of consumer protection within the European Union while improving the functioning of the internal market by strengthening the surveillance of products subject to Union harmonization legislation.
One of its main innovations is the provision of greater protection for consumers regarding the safety of products sold through online marketplaces. Economic operators will only market or introduce products that are compliant and safe; non-compliant and unsafe products pose a risk to consumers and may distort competition with economic operators who market compliant products within the EU.
Market Surveillance
Market surveillance activities are carried out to ensure that applicable laws and regulations are complied with, and that all products marketed in the European Union are subject to general safety standards and comply with health, safety and environmental rules. In an environment where products and services can move freely, effective market surveillance requires a consistent and coherent approach between the Market Surveillance Authorities of all Member States.
In this regard, the importance of adhering to standards serves as a guarantee for meeting product safety requirements. Therefore, it is essential to maintain continuous dialogue with public administrations to increase the use of UNE standards as effective tools to support legislation, promote the implementation of public policies, and enhance market surveillance to support consumer protection, combat unfair competition, and ensure fair competition conditions for all economic operators.
The European Regulation provides, among other aspects, standards to ensure that products are safe, and it establishes the presumption of conformity with European standards. It aims to modernize the rules for all economic operators, create a surveillance system for all products, and ensure that economic operators have a person responsible for products sold online and offline, from the EU or a third country.
The Meeting was attended by the following speakers: Alfredo Berges, from UNE and the Market Surveillance Observatory; Javier García, from UNE and ISO; Daniel Arribas and José Ignacio Vitón, from the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and the 2030 Agenda; Isabel Linares, from the Market Surveillance Observatory of UNE; Penélope González, from the Community of Madrid ; Marta Alzás de la Fuente, from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business; Cristina Miró, from the Spanish Toy Association (AEFJ); Ricardo Pomatta, from the Spanish Association of Lighting Manufacturers (ANFALUM); Cecilia Salamanca, from the Air Conditioning Equipment Manufacturers Association (AFEC); Vicente Sales, from the Technology Institute for Metalworking, Furniture, Wood, Packaging and Related Materials (AIDIMME); and Alfredo Gosálvez, from the Spanish Federation of Appliance Marketers (FECE).
