Documents product safety 59 results

"The chemicals strategy for sustainability towards a toxic-free environment (CSS) embraces two overarching goals of the chemicals legislation: preventing harm to people and the planet from hazardous chemicals and their toxic effects and supporting EU industry in the production of safe and sustainable chemicals. As one of the CSS actions, the European Environment Agency (EEA), the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the European Commission (EC) have developed an indicator framework on chemicals to support these goals. The aims of the framework are to monitor the drivers and impacts of chemical pollution and measure the effectiveness of chemicals legislation. The framework has an online dashboard (available here: https://www.eea.europa.eu/ en/european-zero-pollution-dashboards/chemicals-strategy-for-sustainability) and is accompanied by this synthesis report jointly drafted by the EEA and ECHA. Existing data streams, indicators and other information were assessed for their potential effectiveness in monitoring trends in chemicals production, use, emission, and impact. The proposed framework consists of existing and newly developed indicators and signals. The latter are more limited in terms of spatial and time coverage. Some existing indicators are also part of other related monitoring frameworks such as the zero pollution action plan. While individual indicators may not be able to measure progress on reducing the risks/unwanted impacts of chemicals directly, they should, as a whole, provide a fact-based picture to support the assessment of the effectiveness of the legislative framework for chemicals and the identification of the need for future action. However, since the impact of the current chemicals policy actions will only become apparent over time, the current dashboard and this report should be seen as a baseline."

"In their efforts to establish a common European market the Community institutions became aware of wide range of non-tariff barriers to trade which stem from national product safety legislation. “Deregulation” is no realistic option in that field in view of the strength of public concerns with product safety. In order to prepare the grounds for Community action comparative research seems indispensable. Comparative analyses which would include the regulatory philosophies of pertinent legislation and the methods of its implementation are so far simply unavailable. The four studies on France, Britain, Germany and the United States in this chapter have to fill a gap. They identify the specifics of these systems and extend heir analyses to the role of standard setting and certification. The United States are included because their Consumer Product Safety Act and its implementation through a regulatory agency provide a particularly sophisticated, albeit controversial, example which the Community needs to be aware of when designing its own policies."

"In this article the authors try to find a way to overcome the separation of internal-market policy and consumer policy, because the product safety policy has been experienced to be a barrier to trade. First of all they emphasize that mutual recognition as developed in Cassis de Dijon judgment is no alternative to promote the development of a uniform product safety policy because it would discriminate enterprises which follow more stringent safety rules; just as the sectoral (vertical) harmonization because it would overtax the Community legislator. They suggest to set up a Standing Committee on product safety law which shall coordinate the policy of the Member States and participate in the decision-making of the Commission. Additionally, they want the involvement of the consumer to be strengthened, in form of a private party like the CEN/CENELEC is for the Standing Committee on technical standards. Finally, the authors mention the idea to start a systematic follow-up market control by cooperation between the Member States and the Community. Nevertheless, the first step has to be the introduction of a general product safety obligation that helps to anticipate standardization in individual sectors, before the previously mentioned steps can be taken. ""

"The article deals with the effect the new approach has on the development of a European product safety policy. The authors criticize that the standard of product safety on European level is very vague and inconsistent because the EC just adds (where needed) product safety regulations to their legislation according to the new approach. Thus, they demand of the European legislator to follow a uniform practice on product safety. They recommend to take the point of view of the consumers into account by strengthen their participation in the process of standardization of safety regulations because they are after all affected by a low level of product safety."

"The Article analyses the reorientation of Community policy on achieving the internal market for products and the new efforts on a horizontal European product safety policy. It describes the most important precursors of the new internal market policy, namely ECJ case law on Articles 30 and 36 EEC since the Cassis de Dijon judgement, and the regulatory technique of the Low Voltage Directive. It then analyses in detail the new approach to technical harmonisation and standards, whereby the European Community restricts itself in its directives to setting “essential safety requirements”, leaving it to European standardisation bodies to convert these safety requirements into technical specifications. The Single European Act has brought important changes in the legal framework conditions for the European product safety policy. The concluding legal evaluation of the new approach regarding its compatibility with the EEC Treaty is dealing with the inclusion of standardisation organisations in the Community's law-making process and with the institutional balance between Council and Commission."

"The advent of nanotechnology and its applications in fields such as nano materials and nano systems have led to an increased concern about the safety and compatibility of these systems with biological systems. This is particularly true because the main routes of nano materials contact are inhalation, dermal absorption, and ingestion. Biointeractions of Nanomaterials addresses these issues related to toxicity and safety of nano materials and nano systems. It covers the range of interactions in biological systems and presents various tools and methods used for evaluation, including in vitro and in vivo techniques."

"In June 2013, the ministers of trade in the EU Member States mandated the European Commission to begin negotiations with the USA on a free trade and investment partnership agreement primarily concerning free access to the market, the abolition of non-tariff barriers to trade, and arrangements for investment protection. The statutory accident insurance institutions in Germany welcome the intention of the European Union to facilitate trade arrangements for European companies through a transatlantic trade and investment partnership with the USA and thereby to promote employment growth in Europe. Such efforts are in the interests both of companies and of their employees. The latter are insured in Germany against occupational accidents and diseases by the statutory accident insurance institutions. Furthermore, a free-trade agreement could result in the USA becoming more closely involved in the future in international standardization of products and certifi cation procedures. This also applies to recognition of the ILO agreements governing the core labour standards and the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. In the view of the statutory accident insurance institutions, both aspects should be welcomed. The statutory accident insurance institutions further welcome comments that the mandate does not intend to facilitate trade or direct investment by relaxing occupational safety and health standards."

"Compared to international standards, an Austrian debate on regulation of nanotechnologies was only initiated in 2006. A first parliamentary inquiry was made in 2007. The same year, the Bioethics Commission at the Federal Chancellery adopted a recommendation on nanotechnology. The regulation of nanotechnology is also mentioned in the Program of the Austrian federal government for the (current) 24th. Legislative Period. A legal inquiry into this topic has just begun with only preliminary conclusions. The complexity of the matter, the remembrance of the experiences with public communication about genetic engineering and in particular the strong influence of this field of law by EU legislation served in the beginning of the political debate as justification for the restraint concerning an independent positioning of Austria. Since 2008 the debate gained momentum with several conferences and the enactment of the Austrian Nanotechnology Action Plan (NAP) in 2010. This dossier concentrates on chemicals, biocidal products, pesticides, medicinal products, medical devices, cosmetics and food as well as on general product safety."

"Since the establishment of product safety as a new policy field in the middle of the twentieth century a variety of instruments for the ensuring and controlling of the safety of technical consumer products have been developed. The author analyses these instruments and their specific characteristics, describes their strengths and weaknesses and examines their mutual relationships. He departs from the identification of risks, which arise from technical consumer products, using for this purpose several available statistics and pertinent empirical studies. In a second step he analyses how these data are being evaluated from different viewpoints and hence can bias the assessment of the safety of a product. This dependence determines yardsticks of product safety policies and their implementation. The critical analyses of the particular functions, strengths and weaknesses of these instruments reveals, that the coordination of the instruments of product safety policies and their implemented has remained unsatisfactory."