QI-Days strengthen dialogue for product safety and consumer protection

The Indo-German QI-Days took place as part of a delegation trip to India by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK). The hybrid event was jointly organised with BMWK, the Indian Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (MoCAF&PD) and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) within the framework of the Indo-German Working Group on Quality Infrastructure.

Key partners and stakeholders of the working group participated in the expert exchanges both on-site in New-Delhi and virtually. These included: BMWK, MoCAF&PD, BIS, the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), the Indian Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the Indian government think tank NITI Aayog. Besides, the German Institute for Standardization (DIN), the German Commission for Electrotechnical, Electronic & Information Technologies in DIN and VDE (DKE), the German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) as well as the German Accreditation Body (DAkkS), the Indian National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA), the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC) and the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft participated.

Shared values and mutual respect form the basis of the strategic partnership between Germany and India

In the inaugural session, Dr Ole Janssen, Deputy Director General for Innovation and Technology Policy (BMWK), and Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh (MoCAF&PD), together with Pramod Kumar Tiwari (BIS) and Dr Steffen Koch (German Embassy in Delhi), emphasised the importance of Indo-German cooperation for fair, efficient and sustainable trade and economic development.

Janssen highlighted the Indo-German Working Group as an important platform for dialogue and cooperation. Together with international partners like India, the aim is to make our economies fit for the future and to ensure sustainable growth for all, he said. Secretary Singh underlined the close relations between the two countries. Joint efforts are needed to improve the quality and safety of products, he said. Both sides stressed that shared values and mutual respect form the basis of the strategic partnership.

Expert exchange on market surveillance: focus on consumer protection and fair competition

Market surveillance systems protect consumers from unsafe products in the market. In the expert exchange on market surveillance, the German side presented the system of the European Union (EU) and its implementation in Germany. In a subsequent discussion, German and Indian experts exchanged views on aspects of market surveillance that could be relevant for the development of an overarching market surveillance system in India.

Successful start of the first Indo-German Forum on Technical Regulation and Conformity Assessment

The first Forum on Technical Regulation and Conformity Assessment kicked-off the strategic dialogue in this field. The dialogue intends to support the industry by exchanging information on upcoming regulatory changes. Besides, it aims to clarify ambiguities in their implementation. The dialogue also aims to enhance the effectiveness of regulations. Therefore, the participants exchange approaches to technical regulation in Germany and India as well as good regulatory practices. The forum showed that both sides are interested in continuing the exchange of knowledge and experiences on technical regulation and conformity assessment. Participants put forward suggestions for further cooperation. These include, for example, artificial intelligence (AI) as well as the automotive and IT sectors.

Third Standardisation Forum enables exchange on standardisation approaches for emerging areas

The third Indo-German Standardisation Forum focused on standardisation processes, strategies and priorities in Germany, at EU level and in India. The participants also discussed approaches for standardisation in emerging fields, such as AI and smart agriculture. The Standardisation Forum was established within the working group in 2019. It provides an interactive platform for exchange between government representatives, standardisation bodies and the industry. Both sides agreed to continue the exchange within the standardisation dialogue. They aim to make standards development processes more efficient and inclusive. In this context, the experts mentioned the application of the Global Relevance Toolbox and the integration of research results.

Indo-German cooperation in the field of circular economy kicks off

In addition to expert events on the various elements of QI, the QI-Days marked the start of Indo-German cooperation on circular economy. Experts from both sides exchanged views on current developments at policy level. They also discussed the relevance and role of QI in supporting the ecological transformation of our economies. In addition, they talked about the future of the Indo-German cooperation in the field of circular economy. The expert exchange showed that Germany and India have common views on circular economy in many aspects. Common interests exist, for example, in the exchange of standards development approaches and information on digital product passports.

The four expert exchanges that took place during the QI-Days successfully deepened Indo-German cooperation on systemic and technical QI issues. In doing so, they contributed to the implementation of the Work Plan 2022.

A press release issued by MoCAF&PD on the QI-Days can be found here: Press Information Bureau (pib.gov.in)