Part of European Legislation regulates the requirements products circulating in the European market should comply with. These requirements mainly involve product safety during use.
The general principles governing this legislation are the following:
1. The products available in the Community market should comply with
all the provisions of the applicable legislation.
2. The responsibility for products’ compliance with all the provisions of the applicable legislation rests with the economic operators (manufacturer, authorized representative, importer and distributor) depending on the role each of them has in the supply chain.
3. The economic operators are responsible for the accuracy of the information they supply in their products, as well as its fullness and compliance with the applicable community regulations.
The product’s compliance is indicated with the approved mark (CЄ, Э, π, etc) which the manufacturer affixes on the product.
Through the surveillance (monitoring) of the market, all states ensure that products which pose a risk for the health or safety of users or do not comply for any reason with the requirements of the applicable community legislation, are withdrawn or their placing in the market is prohibited. At the same time the public, other states and the European Commission are informed accordingly.
The Director of the Department of Electrical and Mechanical Services is the competent authority for the surveillance of the market for the following categories of products:
1. Low voltage electrical equipment (domestic electrical appliances, materials for the construction of electrical installations and other electrical equipment operating between 50 Volt to 1000 Volt on alternating current and between 75V and 1500 V on direct current (must carry the CE marking).
2. Gaseous fuels appliances (LPG or natural gas appliances used for
cooking, heating, water heating, cooling, lighting etc) must carry the CE marking)
3. Transportable Pressure Equipment (LPG cylinders, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, coolant gases, argon, helium, chlorine cylinders etc as well as the tanks in which these gases are transported compressed or liquefied (must carry the ð marking)
4. Áerosol (aerosol dispensers) (as a whole comprising the can together with its
content and spraying lance) – (must carry the Ý marking)
5. Cableway installations designed to carry persons (teleferic, cable trains, ski cableways and similar installations) – (their construction materials should carry the CE marking).
The surveillance of the market concerning the above-mentioned categories is done
ex officio by the Department of Electrical and Mechanical Services, with
systematic random checks on products available in the market and by investigating the relevant complaints submitted by consumers. With regard to products imported from third countries (countries which are not member states of the European Union) a random check is also carried out by the Customs authorities at the port of entrance. Products which are dangerous or do not comply with the requirements of the relevant legislation are either withdrawn or their marketing is prohibited. The public is informed through the publication of notifications. In the case of dangerous products the Rapid Alert System for Dangerous Products – RAPEX is notified on dangerous products, through which the relevant information is made available to all European Union citizens.
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