tqm.list Weekly Digest Subject: EOTC News: 'Market Surveillance' Workshop - Summary Available! (A ---------------------------------------- From: EOTC News Subject: EOTC News: 'Market Surveillance' Workshop - Summary Available! (A Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 17:43:38 +0200 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > ~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 Providers of Conformity Assessment Activities > in Europe: > Testing - Inspection - Calibration - Certification > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > MARKET SURVEILLANCE > in Relation to the New Approach Directives > EOTC 'Critical Issues' Workshop > http://www.eotc.be/eotcevents.htm > Summary Available On-line! > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Other topics covered in this EOTC News release > -- UK National Forum Supports EOTC > -- Harmonised Standards: Website Available > -- Eurocer Building Granted EOTC European Member Status > -- CEN Conference Summaries Available > -- TABD - Supports the MRA Process > -- UNICE - European Business Summit > -- "Europe Food & Safety" Conference > > ______ A n n o u n c e m e n t ______ > EOTC MARKING 2000 WORKSHOP > to be held on 13/14 September 2000 > for info email: helpdesk@eotc.be > _______________________________ > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > MARKET SURVEILLANCE > in Relation to the New Approach Directives > EOTC 'Critical Issues' Workshop > http://www.eotc.be/eotcevents.htm > Summary Available On-line! > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > This Workshop was held in Brussels on 4th & 5th April and was attended by > 120 people drawn from 25 countries, including 9 countries interested in > joining the European Union. > > The participants heard about the full range of current official > initiatives and the commentary of those who are affected by and contribute > to market surveillance. Those present left the Workshop better informed > and greatly encouraged by the evidence of growing official action, > co-ordination and co-operation. It was recognised that an overriding > requirement is that adequate resources be made available nationally for > market surveillance, and the following priorities for action were > identified: > > -- Intensified cross-border co-operation between market surveillance > authorities; > -- The vital need for a relevant and well managed information system; > -- Consistency of all aspects of administration both within and between > different national systems; > -- Increase in the portfolio of harmonised standards; > -- The need for clear guidelines on market surveillance principles to be > applied by applicant countries; > -- The need for special alertness and rapid action in relation to > non-compliant products which particularly impact seasonally on consumers, > and to the growing problem of "grey imports" from third countries. > > The workshop attendees appreciated the thorough presentations given by all > the guest speakers. For instance, Mr. Gwen Cozigou, representing the > European Commission DG Enterprise, indicated the vision of the New > Approach and the instruments for its implementation, one of which is > market surveillance. Mr. Erik Hansson of DG Health and Consumer Protection > took the opportunity of the Workshop to make the first public presentation > of the Commission proposal for the revision of Directive 92/59/EC on > General Product Safety. > > Click here to read the complete workshop summary or view the complete > presentations: http://www.eotc.be/eotcevents.htm > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > UK NATIONAL FORUM: > Supports EOTC > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > On the 14 March 2000, the UK National Forum for Conformity Assessment > considered its position on membership of EOTC in the light of the EOTC > General Assembly decision on 3 November 1999 for continuation of EOTC. > > The consensus reached was that the UK National Forum agreed to reaffirm > its commitment to EOTC membership for 2000. Furthermore, it expressed the > wish to play a proactive role within EOTC in 2000 and signalled its > ongoing commitment to prudent, continuing review of its relationship with > EOTC. > > In addition, the UK National Forum applauded the excellent work of the > EOTC administration in bringing EOTC finances into surplus, and was very > encouraged by EOTC plans for constructive streams of work in 2000 on > membership and agreement groups. > > Further info can be available form the EOTC HelpDesk: Helpdesk@eotc.be > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > EUROCER BUILDING: > Granted EOTC European Member Status > http://www.eurocer-building.com > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Eurocer Building, a former Associate Member of EOTC, was granted the > status of a European Member of EOTC during the last EOTC General Assembly > meeting held on the 22nd of March 2000. Eurocer-building is an association > of Conformity Assessment bodies, in the building and construction industry > in the European Economic Area. > > For additional information please contact: > hans.verlinden@eurocer-building.com > or pay a visit to: http://www.eurocer-building.com > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > HARMONISED STANDARDS: > Website Available! > http://www.newapproach.org > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > A new European Union Website has been developed to explain the complex > issues surrounding the harmonisation of European standards for > manufactured products. > > The New Approach Standardisation in the European Internal Market site, > available at http://www.newapproach.org, has been developed principally to > provide small and medium sized enterprises with access to information on > standards and their routes into the standardisation process. > > The site provides useful information on European standards bodies CEN, > CENELEC and ETSI and on the relevant directives relating to the > development of the European standardisation system. In particular it aims > to: > > -- Provide a common entry point for the European Standards Organisations > (ESO) ; > -- Explain the underlying concepts of New Approach standardisation; > -- List the directives under which the standards are developed; > -- Guide the user to the detail of the standards; > -- Offer a consistent interface across each of the three European > Standard Organisations; > -- Increase awareness of the European standards making process; > -- Act as a marketing tool for European standards world-wide. > > The New Approach was defined in a Council Resolution of May 1985 and > represents an innovative way of technical harmonisation. It introduces, > among other things, a clear separation of responsibilities between the EC > legislator and the European standards bodies CEN, CENELEC and ETSI in the > legal framework allowing for the free movement of goods. > > For more information please visit: http://www.newapproach.org > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > CEN CONFERENCES: > Summaries Available > http://www.cenorm.be/news/conferences.htm > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > The summaries of the following CEN Conferences are now available online: > > PRESSURE EQUIPMENT IN EUROPE > Brussels, 8/10 September, 1999 > The aim of this conference was to inform industry, authorities, 'notified > bodies' and others about the CEN programme on standardisation for pressure > equipment which will, when complete, amount to more than 800 standards. > > PLAY IT SAFE IN EUROPE: Legislation and standards for the safety of toys > Valencia (Spain), 9/10 February, 2000 > The purpose of the conference was to bring interested parties up to date > with the latest trends in technical developments in standards, the tougher > surveillance of toys on the market in different countries as well as > information on forthcoming European and other international developments. > The changing environment in Europe is also influencing the global market > for toys and the last part of the conference focused on this issue. > > Click here to read summaries of the Workshops: > http://www.cenorm.be/news/conferences.htm > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > TABD - Trans Atlantic Business Dialogue > Supports the MRA Process > http://www.tabd.com > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > The Transatlantic Business Dialogue (TABD) CEO chairs for 2000, George > David, have announced an ambitious plan for the coming year, with the need > for further trade liberalization in the increasingly global business > environment and the utilization of the early warning system to resolve > trade and investment issues, heading the list. > > "The TABD is firmly committed to the WTO and to trade liberalization," > said TABD EU Chair Bertrand Collomb. Additionally, Collomb noted the > TABD's continuing support for the MRA process. "The MRAs are a concrete > example of streamlining the regulatory process in order to increase > economic activity, decrease costs to business, and enhance product > delivery to customers." > > The TABD is also pleased to announce that several key recommendations made > during the 1999 CEO Conference in Berlin have already been acted on by the > Governments, for instance the European Parliament's approval of the > deferral of a directive on metric-only labelling rules. > > In December 1999, the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers > approved a 10-year deferral of the EU "metric-only" directive. If > implemented, the EU directive would have required all products sold in the > EU to be labelled only in metric units, causing serious disruptions in > transatlantic trade. he decision is a victory for transatlantic business, > the TABD, and particularly for the small business community, which had > called for the delay since 1997. > > Additional information on the TABD can be found on our website: > http://www.tabd.com > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > UNICE EUROPEAN BUSINESS SUMMIT > http://www.ebsummit.org > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > UNICE is much encouraged by the results and spirit of the Special Lisbon > summit. Lisbon clearly stands for a new momentum and political will to > tackle the unacceptable high unemployment rates through economic and > structural reforms. UNICE is particularly pleased that business' views on > the need for innovation and entrepreneurship have been accepted by the > European leaders. > > With the current economic upturn, now is the time to implement the > necessary economic and structural reforms. UNICE wants to continue > participating in this important debate. Therefore, we invite all EU > decision makers and entrepreneurs to a common dialogue on the theme of > 'Innovation and Creativity' at the European Business Summit, which will > take place on 9-10 June in Brussels. This Business Summit will lead to > concrete recommendations to the European Commission and the heads of EU > member states. > > For further information on the European Business Summit, please visit: > http://www.ebsummit.org > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > "EUROPE FOOD & SAFETY" CONFERENCE > Lisbon, Portugal - April 19th, 2000 > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > The Portuguese Presidency is organising a Conference "Europe & Food > Safety" - A Single Market for the Benefit of Citizens, to be held in > Lisbon, Portugal - April 19th, 2000. The conference aims at providing a > common discussion forum and intends to gather representatives from the EU > institutions, authorities in the Member States, as well as social > partners, scientists and general public. The conference will have the > participation of several Portuguese members of the government as well as > European Institutions representatives. > > For further information please contact: cijd@cijdelors.pt > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~ DON'T MISS !!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > EOTC "MARKING" DISCUSSION FORUM ! > Click here to join! --- http://www.eotc.be/forum > The Marking forum currently has over 150 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 > --- http://www.eotc.be/eotcevents.htm > 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 empty email with subject > "Subscribe" (without quotes) to: NEWS@eotc.be > > EOTC, Brussels, April - 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