How to ensure that products purchased by over 500 million European consumers are safe, and legislation protecting weaker market participants is best enforced? These were the topics of the meeting of Neven Mimica, the EU Commissioner for Consumer Policy, and Jarosław Król, the Vice-President of UOKiK. This is the first visit of the Commissioner to Poland

Well-informed and aware of their rights consumers are the backbone of any economy. They benefit from products and services available within the Single Market, and therefore it is of key importance to ensure that all these products are safe. The European Union is working on the new regulations which will increase the safety of products and will contribute to the improvement of the market surveillance system, by inter alia the harmonization of the regulations in force in Member States. – I highly appreciate the involvement of Polish consumer authority in the legislative works carried out at the EU level – said Neven Mimica, the EU Commissioner for Consumer Policy, said during today’s meeting with Jarosław Król, the Vice-President of UOKiK. It is his first visit to Poland since taking on the duties of the EU Commissioner in July 2013.

The works on the new regulations have been conducted in the EU institutions since February 2013. The new proposals aim not only at strengthening consumer protection by improving the safety of consumer products circulating in the Single Market, but also at creating a level playing field for businesses. Jarosław Król stressed that the improved regulations in this area will increase consumer confidence in the Single Market and thereby stimulate economic growth. This is why UOKiK is actively engaged in ongoing works on these new regulations. Commissioner Mimica expressed hope that, despite differences in Member States standpoints, it will be possible to reach an agreement in the months to come. The new legislation is expected to come into effect in 2015.

Functioning within the Single Market creates many new opportunities for European consumers, but may also entails certain risks that often cross national borders. The European Rapid Alert System for Non-Food Consumer Products – RAPEX – ensures rapid exchange of information between Member States and the European Commission concerning products (with the exception of food, pharmaceutical and medical devices) posing risk to consumers. It is a register to which are notified all dangerous non-food products detected by Member States, including products of Polish companies challenged in other EU country. In 2012, UOKiK submitted 38 notifications to the RAPEX system, most of which concerned toys and child use and care products. In 59 cases, the Office took actions in response to information received from another EU Member State. UOKiK Vice-President agreed with the Commissioner that the effectiveness of the Rapex System should not be undermined.  

Another issue raised by the Commissioner concerned the need of improvement of the effectiveness of enforcement of the existing consumer legislation. It may be achieved, inter alia, by strengthening the cooperation in the framework of the CPC (Consumer Protection Cooperation) network, in which UOKiK is a member. It will be one of the priority areas of works of the Directorate General for Health and Consumers (DG Sanco) headed by the new Commissioner.

Neven Mimica – in charge of consumer policy in the European Commission is the first Commissioner from Croatia which became the 28th EU Member State on 1 July 2013. His priorities include, inter alia, closing the ongoing works on the legislative proposals on product safety and market surveillance, on medical devices and on bank accounts. From 2011 he was the Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs and European Integration.

Additional information for the media:
Małgorzata Cieloch, UOKiK Spokesperson
Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warsaw
Ph. 22 827 28 92, 55 60 314
Fax 22 826 11 86
E-mail [SCODE]bWNpZWxvY2hAdW9raWsuZ292LnBs[ECODE]