This report gives an overview of the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 setting out the requirements for accreditation and market surveillance relating to the marketing of products which has applied from 1 January 2010. The main points are as follows:
Accreditation: while the Regulation has set a solid legal framework for accreditation, the major challenges in the implementation of the accreditation chapter of the Regulation for the next few years will be to consolidate and strengthen the system as well as raising awareness and a better understanding of accreditation's benefits. Apart from a number of legal questions surrounding accreditation, this will require:
· a further strengthening of the peer evaluation system as the main tool for ensuring a continued quality of certificates throughout the EU;
· greater prominence to accreditation for notification purposes which will have to be used more systematically in EU legislation where the latter provides for conformity assessment and the designation of conformity assessment bodies. This may also require that the Commission and the European Cooperation for Accreditation (EA) develop sectoral accreditation schemes to ensure that conformity assessment bodies meet the level of competence required by Union harmonisation legislation in fields with specific requirements.
Union market surveillance framework for products: with regard to the national market surveillance programmes, the assessment of the efforts made by Member States is overall very positive, despite the fact that some countries have put more emphasis on information concerning the general organisation of market surveillance, while others have chosen to privilege information on sector activities, so the information is not always fully comparable. Clarity on how Member States have organised cooperation and coordination among different authorities and with customs could be improved. In addition:
· Products presenting a serious risk: the report discusses the extension of the RAPEX system, which has contributed particularly to the protection of workers and the environment, although the total number of new notifications has been rather limited during the first two years of implementation of the Regulation. Overall, 9 Member States transmitted notifications on professional goods and products which may harm public interests other than health and safety and this figure will increase over time.
· General information support system – ICSMS: in November 2011, the Commission agreed to purchase ICSMS for EUR 1,940,940.
CE Marking and Conformity Assessment: upon request by the European Parliament, the Commission carried out an information campaign on CE marking financed by the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme in 2009 and costing EUR 2 million. Feedback and interest shows that the campaign fulfilled its goals.