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WORKSHOP ON REGULATORY COOPERATION BETWEEN MEMBERS
WTO Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade
Geneva, 8-9 November 2011
Working Together to Make Consumer Products Safer: the China-EU example
Fabrizio Sacchetti Kong Xiaobang
European Commission China’s General
DG Enterprise and Industry Administration for Quality
Supervision, Inspection and
Quarantine
Outline
1. General Framework for China-EU Cooperation
2. China-EU Regulatory Cooperation in the TBT field: Tools and Objectives
3. The global product safety challenge
4. Practical tool: RAPEX-China
5. Case study: Toys
6. Lessons Learned and Future Challenges
General Framework for China-EU Cooperation
1985 China-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (currently undergoing revision and transformation into a comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation Agreement)
Bilateral cooperation steadily increased over the years
=> demand-led process
=> more than 50 areas now covered
=> widening and deepening of bilateral relations since China joined the WTO in 2001
General Framework for China-EU Cooperation
Technical assistance activities in support of China’s integration in the world trading system following WTO accession
=> EU-China Trade Project (2004-2009)
=> EU-China Trade Project II (2010-2015 – Support to China’s Sustainable Trade and Investment System)
Five components:
1. Services
2. Quality Infrastructure and TBT
3. Agriculture and SPS
4. Customs
5. Cross Cutting Issues (e.g. competition and investment policies, general WTO issues, transparency, sustainable trade, public procurement, CSR, Market Access)
General Framework for China-EU Cooperation
Political oversight:
=> High-Level Economic Dialogue (2007)
=> High-Level Strategic Dialogue (2007)
=> Annual China-EU Summits
China-EU Regulatory Cooperation in the TBT Field: Tools and Objectives
3 main dialogues:
DG ENTR- AQSIQ Regulatory Dialogue « Consultation Mechanism on Industrial Products and WTO/TBT » (2002, building on the first 4 sectoral cooperation agreements on product safety concluded in 2001)
DG ENTR-MIIT Industrial Policy Dialogue « Memorandum of Understanding on a Dialogue and Consultation Mechanism on Industrial Sectors » (2009)
DG SANCO AQSIQ Consumer Product Safety Dialogue « Memorandum of Understanding on Administrative Cooperation » (2006, expanded in 2008 and 2010)
China-EU Regulatory Cooperation in the TBT Field: Tools and Objectives
DG ENTR- AQSIQ Regulatory Dialogue
ObjectivesEnhance industrial product safetyEliminate obstacles to trade and investmentPromote regulatory convergence
Industry stakeholders, standardisers and consumers’ organisations actively participate in the dialogue
China-EU Regulatory Cooperation in the TBT Field: Tools and Objectives
DG ENTR- AQSIQ Regulatory Dialogue
10 Working Groups
3 Cross-cutting: Conformity Assessment, Standardisation (G2G dialogue mirrored by MoU between SAC and the 3 European Standardisation Organisations), TBT
7 Sectoral: Electrical & Mechanical, Toys, Automobile, Chemicals, Pressure Equipment, Textiles, Wines and Spirits
Oversight
Annual Plenary Meetings at AQSIQ Vice-Minister and ENTR Director-General level
China-EU Regulatory Cooperation in the TBT Field: Tools and Objectives
DG ENTR-MIIT Industrial Policy Dialogue
ObjectivesPromote sustainable industrial development Exchange of information and experience on industrial policy issues (framework conditions and specific sectoral policies)Echange of information on legislative and standardisation initiatives in the industrial sectors / policy areas covered
Industry stakeholders actively participate in the dialogue
China-EU Regulatory Cooperation in the TBT Field: Tools and Objectives
DG ENTR-MIIT Industrial Policy Dialogue
Five Working Groups
Automotive, Shipbuilding, SME Policy, Raw materials, Industrial Energy Efficiency.
Oversight
Annual Plenary Meeting at MIIT Vice-Minister and ENTR Director-General level
China-EU Regulatory Cooperation in the TBT Field: Tools and Objectives
DG SANCO- AQSIQ Consumer Product Safety Dialogue
Objectives Enhance safety of consumer products exported to the EU
=> exchange of information on unsafe products originating from the other Sides’ jurisidiction via the RAPEX-China on-line system
=> regular exchanges of information on scientific, technical and regulatory matters: emerging risks, market surveillance, border control and enforcement, risk assessment, product testing
China-EU Regulatory Cooperation in the TBT Field: Tools and Objectives
DG SANCO- AQSIQ Consumer Product Safety Dialogue
Objectives Enhance safety of consumer products exported to the EU (continued)
=> awareness raising campaigns, training of AQSIQ/CIQ staff, exchange of officials, outreach events
=> cooperation on consumer product traceability
=> cooperation on product safety standards issues (applicable standards, international standardisation)
=> joint enforcement actions
=> involvement of EU Member State market surveillance authorities
China-EU Regulatory Cooperation in the TBT Field: Tools and Objectives
DG SANCO- AQSIQ Consumer Product Safety Dialogue
Working Groups
2 Cross-cutting: RAPEX-China, Consumer Products / Market Surveillance
2 Sectoral: Medical Devices, Cosmetics (also parallel cooperation in these two sectors with SFDA)
Industry stakeholders, standardisers and consumers’ organisations actively participate in the dialogue
The global product safety challenge
Product Safety is a global challenge, a common concern and a shared responsibility
Globalisation of supply chains and of trade: increasingly interdependent markets
Ensure consumer confidence that goods, no matter where they are produced, are safe
Businesses and public authorities at every point in the supply chain have a responsibility for ensuring that goods are safe
The global product safety challenge
Product Safety is a global challenge, a common concern and a shared responsibility
Businesses: each economic actor bears a responsibility commensurate with his role in the supply chain. Prime responsibility lies with manufacturers and importers.
The global product safety challenge
Product Safety is a global challenge, a common
concern and a shared responsibility
Governments: provide for adequate legal frameworks and ensure effective enforcement
Enforcement is no longer a national issue: need for enhanced international cooperation (bilateral, trilateral EU-US-China and multilateral, e.g. APEC, OECD, UNECE, IPSC, ICPHSO)
RAPEX-CHINA
See separate set of slides presented by Mr. Kong
TOYS
Framework for cooperation
Toys WG under the DG ENTR-AQSIQ Regulatory Dialogue
DG ENTR-DG SANCO-AQSIQ Guidelines for Action on Co-operation for Strengthening EU-China Toy Safety (« Roadmap for Safer Toys », 2006)
TOYS
Objectives
• Ensure a high level of toy safety
• Ensure consumer confidence
• Ensure best conditions for trade in the toy sector
TOYS
Activities and Achievements
• Regular meetings between European and Chinese toy safety experts (regulators, standardisers, industry, market surveillance authorities)
• Raise awareness about applicable requirements in the EU
targeted outreach events for manufacturers in China and manufacturers / importers / distributors in the EU
training of AQSIQ / CIQ officials including through traineeships with EU Commission and Member States)
Legislation and guidance documents translated into Chinese
TOYS
Activities and Achievements
• Exchange of information on unsafe Chinese-origin toys found in the EU market (via RAPEX-China and safeguard procedure under the Toy Safety Directive) => link with preventive enforcement activities carried out by AQSIQ / CIQ
• Closer cooperation on standards
Chinese experts invited to attend CEN TC 52 meetings as observers
Coordination at ISO level
TOYS
Activities and Achievements
• 2008 Report on « Evaluating Business Safety Measures in the Toy Supply Chain »
Need to create a « product safety culture » and to embed it in the entire supply chain
• 2008 voluntary agreements between European Commission and European Associations of toy manufacturers (TIE), importers and retailers
TOYS
Current priorities
• Training on implementation of the EU new Toy Safety Directive (applicable as from 20 July 2011) Joint outreach events with U.S. CPSC during week of 14/11
Extensive training materials in Chinese, «train the trainer » initiatives
Focus on central role of toy designers and manufacturers and on the importance of the safety assessment to be integrated in the design phase
• Closer cooperation on market surveillance issues Facilitate greater involvement of EU Member States (see e.g. the
example of the Netherlands and Germany)
TOYS
Current priorities
• Intensify cooperation on standards
Promote greater convergence EN and GB standards for toy safety
Promote global solutions based on a high level of safety at ISO level
• Promote compatible traceability requirements and solutions, capable of fulfilling the needs of EU and Chinese toy safety legislation
Lessons Learned
• First lesson: learn from each other!
• Education, create a « product safety culture »
• Need for effective tools to disseminate relevant information to concerned operators
• Information tool mix: outreach event targeting manufacturers and importers, « train the trainer » events, E-learning tools
• Prevent better than cure: importance of linking results of market surveillance in the EU with export controls carried out by Chinese authorities
• Effective supply chain management is essential to achieve high levels of compliance
Future Challenges
• Internationalisation of the supply chain international dimension of product safetyInternational cooperation need to intensify
• Intensify information exchange on new scientific evidence on emerging risks, upcoming regulations and standards, product recalls worldwide and best practices on enforcement initiatives
Future Challenges
• Product traceability mix of mandatory requirements and voluntary systems that each manufacturer needs to implement based on the characteristics of his products, manufacturing process and distribution system
• Greater convergence / harmonisation of safety requirements and standards would be desirable for optimal levels of consumer protection and effective international cooperation
• Education: continue to invest in informing businesses about their obligations under product safety legislation
WEB ADDRESSES
More information can be found at:
AQSIQ:CN: http://www.aqsiq.gov.cn/EN: http://english.aqsiq.gov.cn/
DG SANCO - RAPEX:RAPEX: http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/safety/rapex/index_en.htmInternational Cooperation / China-EU relations: http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/safety/int_coop/index_en.htm
DG ENTR - Toys: Toys: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/toys/index_en.htmInternational Cooperation / China-EU relations: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/international/cooperating-governments/china/index_en.htm
THANK YOU
FOR YOUR ATTENTION