Market Surveillance Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina was established by the Law on Market Surveillance in Bosnia and Herzegovina (“Official Gazette of BiH” No. 45/04,44/07 and 102/09). The Agency is an independent administrative organisation, it is considered a legal entity, and it is responsible for its work to the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The head office of the Agency is situated in Istočno Sarajevo.

Adopting the Law on Market Surveillance and the Law on General Product Safety (“Official Gazette of BiH” No. 102/09), Bosnia and Herzegovina transposed the Directive on General Product Safety (2001/95/EC), whereby laying down the obligation by which only safe products can be placed on the market.

The Law on Market Surveillance in BiH organizes market surveillance of the products placed on the BiH market, lays down the basic principles and establishes market surveillance system, which is comprised of:

•  Market Surveillance Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina , and
•  Inspection and other administrative bodies of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Srpska, and Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina authorized to carry out inspections and other activities related to control of the products placed on the market of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Market surveillance system shall:

- monitor the conformity of the products placed on the market with the product safety requirements provided for by the Law on General Product Safety and by specific technical regulations,
- monitor fulfilling the obligations assigned to producers and distributors, and
- take measures to harmonize safety characteristics of products with the prescribed safety requirements.

The objectives of the Agency are:

• Ensuring a systematic, harmonized and efficient market surveillance system in BiH;
• Developing trans-national and international cooperation in the area of market surveillance, including integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina into institutional and administrative structures of international cooperation;
• Promoting and developing scientific and professional knowledge, and its application in formulating and implementing market surveillance policies, as well as promoting and developing professional and expert capacities in all market surveillance structures;
• Affirming the principles of independence, impartiality and non-discrimination in implementation of market surveillance.