Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-12-14-Speech-2-712"
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"en.20101214.42.2-712"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, firstly, I would like to point out once again, in response to the many questions asked during the debate, that the directive will apply to economic operators from July 2011 and that the obligations relating to chemical substances will apply from July 2013. During my speech, I said that the application of the new rules by all those concerned was a priority for the Commission.
I believe I have answered most of the questions put to me. I am grateful to the President and to the MEPs who put questions to the Commission.
As regards surveillance, it is clear that strict legislation is not only necessary, but that it must also be applied correctly or else it will never be effective. That is why I am convinced that the Member States have a fundamental role to play; indeed, a toy that enters the internal market in Rotterdam or in Constanţa, Romania, today, may wind up in Bologna, Lisbon or Helsinki tomorrow, without any border controls.
What gives consumers peace of mind, more than directives being updated every fortnight, is being able to trust in the rigorousness and proper functioning of market surveillance; in other words, in the fact that, if someone tries to sell unsafe toys, he or she will be punished and the dangerous products withdrawn from the market.
Obviously, the same argument applies to businesses; those that abide by the rules pay the price for this situation. Indeed, they appreciate the fact that they are not being exposed to unfair competition from those that more or less knowingly sell non-compliant products and toys. In short, the real challenge is to give consumers peace of mind, businesses legal certainty and a level playing field, and market surveillance authorities resources and cooperation mechanisms.
Hence, in 2011, the Commission will examine the possibility of developing a multiannual market surveillance programme for identifying the long-term measures to be taken and for making the necessary financial resources available, so as to ensure uniformly rigorous checks and consistent action by the Member States.
I would also like to inform you that, in 2011, I intend to organise an event at Rotterdam port with the Dutch authorities, possibly to coincide with the entry into force of the directive. The idea is to see how the largest port in Europe will go about complying with the new rules laid down by the new directive.
As regards the CE mark – which was one of the main topics addressed in my hearing before Parliament prior to my appointment, and which was also discussed in my hearings before the Committee on the Internal Market – I would remind you that it does not certify quality; it certifies only conformity to certain standards. Hence, it is a certificate of conformity to standards, not a certificate of quality. As I have said many times, a quality mark is something that we could only envisage in the future.
Implementing the CE mark and preventing its misuse – something which unfortunately happens in the case of many products, including non-EU ones – is already a big job. Thus, I believe that we can continue to work on this matter, to develop the CE mark – and I personally am not against discussing the introduction of a quality mark in the future perhaps, but I think it is premature to do so now.
As for databases, they will be included in the review of the Product Safety Directive. However, with regard to bisphenol, which is contained in baby feeding bottles, it is not a toy, it is not covered by the directive, but, as the honourable Member pointed out, it has already been withdrawn from the market."@en1
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