More than 6 thousand controls, nearly 17 thousand products checked – this is the result of the work carried out by 9 market surveillance authorities. 37 percent of products were questioned due to their non-conformity with the applicable provisions

Since its accession to the European Union, Poland has established a market surveillance system whose main purpose is to ensure the consumers’ safety. The following authorities carry out controls under this system: the Trade Inspectorate, the National Labour Inspectorate, the Office of Electronic Communications, the Inspectorate of Environmental Protection, the Office of Rail Transportation, the Main Office for Construction Supervision, the State Mining Authority, the Maritime Authorities and the Road Transport Inspection. The controls carried out by those authorities focus both on non-food consumer products (e.g. toys, domestic appliances, power tools or small horticultural equipment), as well as on products used by professionals (e.g. specialist industrial machines, pressure equipment or personal protective equipment which provides protection against adverse working conditions). This approach ensures the appropriate protection of consumers and all market participants.

In 2015 the market surveillance authorities carried out more than 6 thousand controls, in the course of which they questioned nearly 37 percent of controlled products – most frequently toys, machines and radio and telecommunications equipment. Compared to 2014, the number of questioned products increased by 22 percent. It is encouraging that 83 percent of entrepreneurs who put non-conforming products on the market took corrective measures consisting in, inter alia, adjusting the products to relevant safety standards.

The role of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection and the Trade Inspectorate

The Trade Inspectorate carried out the largest number of controls in 2015: more than 2 thousand, which accounts for 35 percent of all surveillance authorities’ activities in this regard. Inspectors checked nearly 8.5 thousand products and questioned more than 3 thousand of them (37 percent). The products which raised the most concerns included toys and small electric appliances (e.g. Christmas tree lights).

In 2015 the Market Surveillance Department received 114 complaints informing about products which may potentially fail to comply with applicable requirements. The complaints concerned mainly cars, electronic appliances and toys. Each year the President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection publishes the “Report on the functioning of the system for the control of products covered by the New Approach Directives“ and prepares the “National market surveillance programme”. Furthermore, the President informs other control authorities or requests them to take action on an on-going basis (in 2015 there were 20 cases of this type, most of which concerned building materials). The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection holds the register of non-compliant products or products presenting a hazard, and by means of the RAPEX alert system it notifies the European Commission and other states about dangerous products detected on the territory of Poland.

Concerns related to the product safety, depending on its type, may be notified to the Trade Inspectorate or to other specialised market supervisory authorities (e.g. potentially non-compliant building materials should be notified to the construction supervision authorities).

More information for the media:

The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection Press Office
pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warszawa
Tel.: 55 60 111, 55 60 219
E-mail: biuroprasowe@uokik.gov.pl