Product Contact Point
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Their principal task is to provide information on products for which so far no uniform regulations have been introduced across the EU. This includes particularly information on current national product legislation. These are laws, regulations or administrative provisions that provide produkt requirements, e.g. in terms of composition, shape, size, marking, packaging, labelling.
Individual statements are made by the Product Contact Point upon inquiry (more information).
In Germany the tasks of the Product Contact Points are fulfilled by the Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food (BLE) for the agricultural and fisheries sectors and for consumer products, and by the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) for all remaining products.
Background
The Product Contact Points are set up on the basis of Regulation (EC) No 764/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 laying down procedures aiming to facilitate the free movement of goods within the internal market.
The aim of this Regulation is to strenghten the internal market principle of mutual recognition. It is applied to products the technical regulations of which are not unified by EU guidelines (non-harmonised sector). This principle says that a Member State is not allowed to prohibit the marketing of products that have been lawfully manufactured and/or put on the market in another Member State even if these products don’t comply with all regulations in the Member State of destination (Article 28 of the Treaty establishing the European Community). Exceptions to this principle are only admissible if this is justified under Article 30 of the EC Treaty, or for overriding reasons of public interest.
- Products and national regulations in the agricultural and fisheries sector as well as for consumer products
- Products/Consumer Products
- Authorities monitoring compliance with technical regulations
- Legal remedies in Germany for disputes between authorities and an economic operator
- System for the settlement of disputes on the internal market (SOLVIT network)