Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-02-19-Speech-2-052"
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"en.20080219.5.2-052"2
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"Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, allow me to begin by adding a few comments on the direct economic implications. It is indeed the case that the rules on mutual recognition apply to 21% of all European industrial production, which is truly a sizeable volume.
Moreover, if this system of mutual recognition worked perfectly, in other words if it were fully applied everywhere, the result would be a 1.8% increase in Europe’s GDP, which certainly represents a significant macroeconomic impact. The opposite is also true, in that the potential value of the internal market would fall by about 10% in our estimation if mutual recognition did not work, that is to say if recognition were not practised; that would, in fact, amount to an annual shortfall of some EUR 150 billion.
Mrs Roithová asked a question about the registration of the CE mark. In fact, we could not do that until last year, because it required an amendment to the relevant European legislation. The process is under way, and I assume that today’s decisions will help us to expedite it. It is not entirely in our hands, but we are doing what we can to complete this registration as quickly as possible.
Mr Csibi mentioned – with a critical undertone – that I had said last year that 100% product safety was not possible. Let me therefore re-emphasise that there is no such thing as absolute guaranteed product safety. Even if we had all products certified by an independent third party, such a body could not possibly check every single item in a production run.
The testing is always confined to a prototype, and problems do not occur when the prototype is presented but in the normal routine of mass production. Even in the case of products for which we have the most stringent of safety rules, such as prescription medicines and motor vehicles, we hear recurring reports of manufacturing defects and of product recalls. The idea that we can offer consumers the prospect of 100% product safety is an illusion.
For this reason, we must insist – it is our only option – that all those who bear responsibility in the chain are held fully accountable. That begins with suppliers of production inputs, then it relates to manufacturers and, in the case of imported goods, importers too.
That is also the answer to the question from Mr Purvis: what we are doing through these new rules is to spell out that importers in Europe are responsible for ensuring that the products they import are safe and that they meet any applicable standards. In other words, European importers assume liability for the safety of products from outside the EU, and anyone who suffers loss or injury caused by a dangerous or faulty product has no need to track down some manufacturer or other in some country far beyond the bounds of the European Union but can press his or her claim against the European importer. I can assure you that this rule will have profound practical effects.
So much for the specific questions that were asked. Let me take this opportunity to thank you once again for the positive and constructive spirit in which this debate has been conducted. If Malcolm Harbour is still here, let me tell him that, as far as I am concerned, every day could be his birthday if all his birthdays are crowned with such signal successes."@en1
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