tqm.list Weekly Digest Subject: EOTC News: Market Surveillance ---------------------------------------- From: EOTC News Subject: EOTC News: Market Surveillance Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2000 10:34:26 +0100 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit ~~~~~~~~~~~~ EOTC NEWS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ News on conformity assessment activities from the European Organisation for Conformity Assessment ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This message was sponsored by the TICQA Information Service http://www.ticqa.eotc.be The Information Service on Conformity Assessment Activities in Europe: Testing - Inspection - Calibration - Certification ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MARKET SURVEILLANCE in Relation to the New Approach Directives EOTC 'Critical Issues' Workshop ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Other topics covered in this EOTC News release -- EOTC Management of the Administrative Secretariat for Groups of Notified Bodies -- ANEC - Conformity Assessment News -- TICQA Extension to CEECs -- Standards & Conformity Assessment: Call for expression of interest -- Standards Make Atlantic Crossing -- IST Programme: Third and fourth call for proposals ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MARKET SURVEILLANCE in Relation to the New Approach Directives EOTC 'Critical Issues' Workshop ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The European Organisation for Conformity Assessment - EOTC, will be hosting a Workshop on 'Market Surveillance' in Relation to the New Approach Directives, which will be held on the 4th & 5th of April, 2000, in Brussels. This 1½ day workshop will focus on sharing information on the current initiatives and good practices which are being used to tackle difficulties in market surveillance in relation to the New Approach Directives. The aim is to coherently present the range of current official initiatives, and to receive and discuss commentary by those who are affected by and contribute to market surveillance. Below is a brief description of two of the Workshop's numerous presentations: Mr. Gwenole COZIGOU, will speak about Market Surveillance: principles and broader framework. He will discuss the key role of market surveillance in the enforcement of New Approach Directives. Market surveillance as part of a continuum which guarantees free circulation of goods and a high level of consumer safety will also be explored. Mr. Gwenole COZIGOU is the Head of the European Commission Unit Conformity, Mutual Recognition Aspects (G/1), DG Enterprise. Ms. Alison CRABB, will make a presentation on Mutual Joint Visit Programme (MJVP): results and follow-up action. The results of last year's MJVP between national enforcement authorities will be presented. Key issues will be identified and an outline given of the follow-up action by which they will be addressed. Ms. Alison CRABB, Detached National Expert at the European Commission, Directorate-General Enterprise Unit, is responsible for the co-ordination of policy on market surveillance for New Approach Directives. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summary of Programme ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DAY 1 - April 4th, 2000 (in the afternoon) - SESSION 1: OVERVIEW OF MARKET SURVEILLANCE - SESSION 2: SURVEILLANCE: Strategies to Discover Non-compliance DAY 2 - April 5th, 2000 (during the whole day) - SESSION 3: KEY MARKET SURVEILLANCE ISSUES - SESSION 4: MARKET SURVEILLANCE: Tools & Initiatives More detailed information and the Workshop programme can be viewed at: To register for the Workshop please contact Ms. Angela Cohen at: Helpdesk@eotc.be ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EOTC Management of the Administrative Secretariat for Groups of Notified Bodies http://www.eotc.be/News/index.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Speaking at the first meeting in 2000 of the Simple Pressure Vessels Group of Notified Bodies, Gordon Gaddes, the Secretary General of EOTC, reported that EOTC had been successful in its bid for the Commission contract to provide the Administrative Secretariat for those groups of notified bodies which choose to meet in Brussels, currently 13 out of 22 groups. The 13 groups together involve over 1300 participants. Mr Gaddes stated that with this success, which followed open competition, other things being equal, EOTC was assured of this contract for the period through to the end of 2002. He stated that the role of EOTC, as the Administrative Secretariat, is to provide the logistics for the meetings. Part of the responsibility is to recommend improvements to the system. To this end EOTC looked forward to working in a professional partnership with the chairpersons, the technical secretariats and the appropriate Commission officials in the important responsibility of helping to develop a European Single Market without barriers to trade, and a market in which people had confidence. He concluded that a draft EOTC Guide on the Administration of the Groups of Notified Bodies is being developed. It will be available for consultation and comment early in June, before the meetings between EOTC and the representatives of the EOTC-administered groups which are being arranged to be held in Brussels on 22nd and 23rd June. Please note that currently EOTC holds the administrative secretariat for these groups of notified bodies: Simple Pressure Vessels, Pressure Equipment, Safety of Toys, Electromagnetic Compatibility, Machinery, Personal Protective Equipment, Appliances Burning Gaseous Fuels, Boilers Efficiency, Medical Devices, In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices, Equipment & Protective Systems Intended for use in Potentially Explosive Atmospheres, Lifts, and Construction Products For additional information, please visit the following EOTC Web Page: http://www.eotc.be/News/index.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ANEC News Releases http://www.anec.org Conformity Assessment News ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ANEC is the European Association for the co-ordination of consumer representation in standardization. The association was established in 1995 to give the opportunity to consumers to be heard in the process of technical standardisation. ANEC represents consumers from all European Union and European Free Trade Area countries. ANEC is a European Member of EOTC and regularly issues press releases, alerting the media, standards bodies and consumers to problems and important issues in standardisation, from a consumers' point of view. For further info visit ANEC's website: http://www.anec.org or subscribe their Newsletter: anec@anec.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TICQA Extension to CEECs http://www.ticqa.eotc.be ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TICQA is the European Information Service for Conformity Assessment Activities. TICQA is being extended to include providers of Conformity Assessment services located in Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs): Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovenia, Estonia, Bulgaria, Latvia, Romania, Lithuania, and Slovakia. TICQA is currently inviting over 8.000 conformity assessment bodies located in CEECs to register in the DataBase. The information collected will be made publicly available on the TICQA Website later in the year. This extension is commissioned by the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) Technical Co-operation Unit in the framework of the PRAQIII Programme financed by the European Commission (Phare funds). TICQA is managed by The European Organisation for Conformity Assessment - EOTC and was jointly developed by the European Commission - EC and European Free Trade Agreement - EFTA. If you wish to find information on providers of Conformity Assessment Services or register your organisation in TICQA, simply go to the TICQA Website at: Http://www.ticqa.eotc.be For additional information, contact the TICQA Helpdesk at: ticqa@eotc.be ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Standards & Conformity Assessment Call for expression of interest www.europa.eu.int/comm/trade/opportunities/tender/call04.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The European Commission, DG Trade has launched an expression for interest in relation to supporting the Communities external trade policy in the field of standards and conformity assessment. The Directorate General will set up a list of potentially qualified contractors to carry out projects in the following fields: Legal, economic and technical analysis (through studies, guides/and or workshops), related to mutual recognition of EU technical requirements, standards, conformity assessment and accreditation systems with certain third countries. The projects may be focused on sectoral issues such as electrical safety, medical devices, machinery, toys, etc... For more information contact: Jonathan.claridge@cec.eu.int ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Standards Make Atlantic Crossing ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In an effort to intensify collaboration on metrology, the signing of the EU-US Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) in 1998 provided the political framework for the "Implementation agreement for co-operation in the fields of metrology and measurement standards". This project is designed to help remove barriers to transatlantic trade caused by incompatible measurement standards or methods, and paves the way for improved collaboration between the EU and the US. For more information, please visit: http://www.cordis.lu/innovation-smes/vips/en/src/en-pr-053.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Information Society Technologies - IST Work Programme Information Day ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The European Commission will be hosting an Information Day on the IST Work Programme 2000, which will be held in Brussels, rue de la Loi 170, "Charlemagne" building, room S3 on the 15th of March, 2000. The event will cover the calls in 2000, notably Calls 3 and 4. For more information please, visit the following IST web-page: http://www.cordis.lu/ist/home.html or contact: monique.jungblut@cec.eu.int ~~~~~~~~~~~~ DON'T MISS !!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EOTC "MARKING" DISCUSSION FORUM ! Click here to join! --- http://www.eotc.be/forum The Marking forum currently has over 100 participants representing various conformity assessment interests. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Did you know that the EOTC can help you to find relevant Conformity Assessment related information. Check out EOTC Info Services homepage: --- http://www.eotc.be/Infoser ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Previous Issues ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EOTC - Market Surveillance Workshop --- MRA hearing in the European Parliament - Presentations Available! --- http://www.eutop.de/mra EC Dialogue with Business - Portal to Business info in the EU --- http://europa.eu.int/business Marks of Conformity for Products - Discussion Paper Online! --- http://www.eotc.be/Forum/marking Guide to EC Directives - Workshop Presentations Online! --- http://www.eotc.be/events/eotc/index.htm Click here to view more previous issues of EOTC News: http://www.eotc.be/News/index.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please forward this message to any of your colleagues who may be interested. EOTC will keep you informed of Conformity Assessment Activities in Europe. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< EOTC >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> European Organisation for Conformity Assessment "The focal point for conformity assessment in Europe" Email: helpdesk@eotc.be - Website: http://www.eotc.be Tel: +32.2.502 4141 - Fax: +32.2.502 4239 Rue d'Egmont, 15 - B-1000 Brussels Belgium <<<<<<<<<<<<< EOTC Online >>>>>>>>>>>>> EOTC provides various info via the following websites Http://WWW.EOTC.BE - the EOTC WebSite Http://WWW.TICQA.EOTC.BE - the TICQA Info Service <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< EOTC >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> EOTC NEWS is a free service provided by the European Organisation for Conformity Assessment. To receive the EOTC NEWS regularly, send an email to: NEWS@eotc.be EOTC, Brussels, March - 2000 ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- End of Digest Provided by the Department of Industrial Engineering, Clemson University Archive files also available by gopher and www at deming.eng.clemson.edu Comments to list@deming.eng.clemson.edu