Toys scare raises EU barriers fear
Wednesday, 12 September 2007
Andrew Bounds from Brussels
A "knee-jerk reaction" to scares over hazardous Chinese toys and toothpaste entering Europe could see customs posts being re-erected at borders, Europe's leading industry group believes.
BusinessEurope, the European employers' lobby, fears politicians could roll back the achievements of the single market, the EU's biggest success, as they tighten controls on imported goods.
Industry-friendly plans to extend the use of a European quality mark are set to come under fire in the European parliament next week. The CE mark, which allows goods to be imported into the EU and circulate without inspection, based on internal company controls, has been criticised because many customers believe it represents a safety standard.
The Socialist group, the second biggest in the parliament, wants the controls to be toughened, and is backed by leftists and Greens representing a near-majority.
"What's shocking is that not many people knew that the CE mark carried no safety guarantees," said a spokesman for the group. "How many dangerous toys are on the shelves that we don't know about?"
Christel Schaldemose, a Danish Socialist scrutinising the plans, said: "We need to consider increased and more rigorous inspections by customs services to ensure the safety of imported toys. We should also examine the need to set up an independent authority, or expand the remit of existing authorities, to deliver safety guarantees expected by consumers."
However, Vincent McGovern, of BusinessEurope, said the mark was a success and its extension was vital to complete the single market. Governments often used quality controls to bar goods from other states, he said. A quar-ter of trade in the 480m-strong bloc was not covered by harmonised rules.
The standards regime was introduced in 1980 after French attempts to block cassis imports on dubious quality grounds were struck down by the Europeancourt. "The single market works - but only at about 70 per cent of capacity," said Mr McGovern.
"The worst thing now would be a knee-jerk reaction. If [the reforms] do not function properly you are going to start erecting border posts again."
Günter Verheugen, the industry commissioner be-hind the plan, agreed. He wishes to shift the burdenof proof so that governments would have to show whya product was substandard before they could block it.
But Meglena Kuneva, the EU consumer affairs commissioner, launched a two-month review of toy safety this week.
The pressure is on to tighten procedures.
Under syndication arrangement with FE
A "knee-jerk reaction" to scares over hazardous Chinese toys and toothpaste entering Europe could see customs posts being re-erected at borders, Europe's leading industry group believes.
BusinessEurope, the European employers' lobby, fears politicians could roll back the achievements of the single market, the EU's biggest success, as they tighten controls on imported goods.
Industry-friendly plans to extend the use of a European quality mark are set to come under fire in the European parliament next week. The CE mark, which allows goods to be imported into the EU and circulate without inspection, based on internal company controls, has been criticised because many customers believe it represents a safety standard.
The Socialist group, the second biggest in the parliament, wants the controls to be toughened, and is backed by leftists and Greens representing a near-majority.
"What's shocking is that not many people knew that the CE mark carried no safety guarantees," said a spokesman for the group. "How many dangerous toys are on the shelves that we don't know about?"
Christel Schaldemose, a Danish Socialist scrutinising the plans, said: "We need to consider increased and more rigorous inspections by customs services to ensure the safety of imported toys. We should also examine the need to set up an independent authority, or expand the remit of existing authorities, to deliver safety guarantees expected by consumers."
However, Vincent McGovern, of BusinessEurope, said the mark was a success and its extension was vital to complete the single market. Governments often used quality controls to bar goods from other states, he said. A quar-ter of trade in the 480m-strong bloc was not covered by harmonised rules.
The standards regime was introduced in 1980 after French attempts to block cassis imports on dubious quality grounds were struck down by the Europeancourt. "The single market works - but only at about 70 per cent of capacity," said Mr McGovern.
"The worst thing now would be a knee-jerk reaction. If [the reforms] do not function properly you are going to start erecting border posts again."
Günter Verheugen, the industry commissioner be-hind the plan, agreed. He wishes to shift the burdenof proof so that governments would have to show whya product was substandard before they could block it.
But Meglena Kuneva, the EU consumer affairs commissioner, launched a two-month review of toy safety this week.
The pressure is on to tighten procedures.
Under syndication arrangement with FE