The structure and policy of a Market Surveillance Authority 1 Market Surveillance Directorate- TRD- MCCAA

TRD-MSD Responsible for: Harmonised products, eg toys, electrical products, construction products, medical devices, lifts, machinery, recreational craft Non-harmonised products, eg chemicals, child care articles, motor vehicles Products falling under GPSD, eg clothes, furniture 2 In short, all non-food and non-medicinal products

Education- October 2010

Human resources 4 Engineers Scientists Technical persons Legal advice Administrative support

Human resources required (or maybe acquired) traits Assertive Capability and need to stay calm even in the face of adversities Patient Resolute Persistent Fundamental: Persons involved must be prepared to work in a hostile environment 5

Other resources Office equipment including cameras, vehicles, etc. Basic screening equipment Accessibility to testing possibilities Place where to store samples A programme of operations 6

National Market Surveillance Programme 7

Risk based approach Operations based on: –Product diffusion in market –Vulnerability of target user/consumer –Complaints from Consumers and/or Economic Operators –Injury statistics –Government policies 8

National Market Surveillance Programme Lists the product groups which the MSA will target Gives the nature of operations: –Enforcement –Market monitoring –Routine inspections –Knowledge dissemination –Reactions to complaints 9

National Market Surveillance Programme Used for identifying resources needed to fulfill requirements Ensures that all remit is covered Prioritises between product groups, eg toys, child care articles, plant protection products Includes joint actions, eg Prosafe, REACH, etc. Is forwarded to EU Commission to be published on website 10

National Market Surveillance Programme Tentative programme, hence actual operations may deviate from the set programme Some actions may need to be postponed due to: –Shifting priorities –Emerging issues, eg hover boards, reports of pesticides abuse, etc –Media issues 11

Planning of operations- Communication How can a Market Surveillance Authority communicate with stakeholders? 12

Communication s/letters to manufacturers, installers, importers, retailers to: –Remind them of their duty to ensure that they place only safe products on the market –Request information and documentation about specific product cases –Order them to take measures and actions to ensure that only safe products are on the market 13

Communication Information sessions to producers and consumers to: –Remind all stakeholders of their duties, ie both consumers and producers –Advise about enforcement programmes which are about to begin –Remind all about the need to communicate with TRD-MSD in case of unsafe products 14

Communication Issue Press Releases to: –inform all about unsafe products and measures taken –warn consumers about operators who were found to repeatedly place unsafe products on the market –inform the general public about operations undertaken 15

Communication Use of public media Use of existing structured fora eg Meusac, schools, etc. Use of dedicated weekly consumer page on Sunday papers Use of the ‘L-Ghazla’, a dedicated magazine issued by the Authority 16

Planning of operations- Surveillance TRD-MSD carry out inspections on the field to ensure that only safe products are placed on the market in Malta 17

Surveillance Surveillance through inspections on pro-active and reactive approaches 18 Surveillance Proactive Reactive

Surveillance- Proactive As per NMSP As required during Joint Action Possibly no reason to doubt safety of product Monitoring of the market May lead to further investigation 19

Surveillance- Reactive Following complaint by consumers, operators Following notification through RAPEX, ICSMS etc May have reasonable doubt about safety of product Very often leads to investigation 20

Planning- Administrative Planning of human resources according to NMSP Planning of financial resources mainly for travelling and testing Make best possible use of existing programmes, eg Prosafe, Adcos, REACH Forum, which are refunded Use RAF 21

Planning- Cooperation with other entities Very good cooperation with other entities within same Authority Very good cooperation with Customs, MCA, OHSA and other entities Training given to officers in other entities Invitation extended to other entities in the case of seminars eg Rapex, ICSMS etc. Very often just pick up the phone and discuss issues with our colleagues in other entities 22

Thank you for your attention Michael Cassar Market Surveillance Directorate Tel: Any Questions? 23