Sino-German expert trip on the new EU Regulation on Market Surveillance

Representatives of the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology of the Federal Republic of Germany (BMWi) and the General Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China (AQSIQ) visited three Chinese provinces from Tuesday, 15 October to Friday, 18 October 2013 to inform the local authorities about latest developments in market surveillance regulations in both countries. Furthermore, an enhancement of the Sino-German cooperation in this field was discussed. The trip was organised by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

In order to ensure a standardised information policy, the workshops in all three provinces followed a similar approach. Mr Joachim Geiß, Deputy Deputy Division Director of the Division for Product and plant safety, technical harmonisation, market surveillance at BMWi, informed the participants about the EU’s New Legal Framework, as well as about the recently published and currently in Europe negotiated Market Surveillance and Product Safety Package. Mr Fan Xiaoli of the Department for Supervision on Inspection of AQSIQ, talked about the latest developments in the national policy on market surveillance. Mr Torge Wolters, Project Manager at GIZ, then presented the contents and extent of the Sino-German Project on Quality Infrastructure, commissioned by BMWi, and invited province and local institutions to participate in the project.

On 15 October, the delegation visited the important export province Jiangsu. In Yangzhou, a city that also hosts many German companies, the delegation members spoke to representatives of the Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau (CIQ) of Jiangsu Province as well as to responsible local market surveillance authorities about the above mentioned topics. After the presentations, Mr Li Xiaojin, Department Chief of Jiangsu CIQ, led the discussion in which questions about the technical implementation of new regulations as well as RAPEX and ICSMS were of particular interest. Subsequently, the delegation visited the laboratories for toy safety, safety of electrical appliances, and for the inspection of chemical substances of Jiangsu Province.

On 16 October, the delegation flew to Shenzhen to inspect the export check points of the local Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau at this important export harbour in China. Additionally, the delegation members discussed cooperation prospects within the scope of the Sino-German Working Group on Product Safety and the Sino-German Project on Quality Infrastructure with Ms Huang Manxue, Deputy Director of the Shenzhen Institute of Standards and Technology.

On Thursday, 17 October, a workshop about the new EU Market Surveillance and Product Safety Regulations followed in Shenzhen. Mr Geiß presented the latest regulations and responded to the questions from the Chinese side, led by Mr Zhong Yong, Division Director of Shenzhen CIQ. The questions referred, for example, to the New Legal Framework and the directives themselves, as well as to specific implementation aspects such as inspection rates and possible sanctions.

Finally, on 18 October, a workshop in Chengdu was held. The German delegation was welcomed by Mr Li Jinsong, Vice Commissioner of Sichuan CIQ. Among several Division Directors of Sichuan CIQ, Ms Liu Lan, Deputy Division Chief of the Sichuan Provincial Department of Commerce, took part in the meeting. After the presentations of Mr Geiß, Mr Fan and Mr Wolters, a discussion evolved mainly on the implementation of RAPEX and ICSMS, and the competences of the German Länder regarding market surveillance.