Market Surveillance

Effective market surveillance ensures not only protection of consumers by ensuring that only safe products are placed on the market, but also protection of economic operators from unfair competition.

Market surveillance comprises the overall system of measures, procedures and activities of the competent authorities which are being carried out to ensure that the products placed on the market comply with the prescribed safety requirements and includes surveillance, and taking measures and actions for the purpose of bringing them into compliance with the prescribed requirements.

Market surveillance is the responsibility of public administration authorities, which should particularly ensure the impartiality in market surveillance activities. Market surveillance authorities must have the necessary resources and powers to carry out their surveillance activities, i.e. to monitor products placed on the market and, in case of non-compliance, to take appropriate measures to ensure compliance, while respecting the principle of proportionality with the degree of risk or non-compliance. Additionally, competent authorities must be independent and carry out their activities in an impartial and non-discriminatory manner.