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The next Committee Meeting will be held on:

Wednesday 29 May (09.00 - 12.30 and 15.00 - 18.30) and Thursday 30 May (09.00 - 12.30 and 15.00 - 18.30) in ASP 3G3. The draft agenda will follow soon.
 
► Newsletter: Issue 41: April 2013 - Previous issues  
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Harmonisation of the laws of the Member States: pyrotechnic articles on the market  
Pyrotechnic articles on 22 May in Plenary

On 22 May, the Rapporteur on the NLF alignment package, Ms. Zuzana Roithová, will present the first of the nine directives in the package to the plenary. The negotiations with the Council on the proposal for a directive on pyrotechnic articles have been concluded ahead of the remaining proposals in order to avoid a legal limbo concerning airbags and seat belt pre-tensioners.

 
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workshop on Ubiquitous Digital Single Market  
Ubiquitous Digital Single Market on 13 May

Policy Department A organised a workshop on New developments towards a 'Ubiquitous' Digital Single Market. New technology presents a world of new opportunity for consumers and businesses alike. The workshop explored through practical examples the type of new solutions that are currently being developed and looked at how governments across the world are responding to foster this development.

 
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STOA logo  
Science and Technology Options Assessment - Annual Report 2012

Parliament's unit for Science and Technology Options Assessment (STOA) mainly assesses the impact of introducing new technologies and identifies the best possible options for action, from a technological point of view. In 2012, STOA focused on eco-efficient transport, sustainable management of natural resources, security of the Internet, e-Government, cloud computing and social networks.

 
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Product safety and Market Surveillance package  
Product Safety and Market Surveillance Package on 7 May

Representatives from DGs ENTR and SANCO gave a presentation on the proposals for a regulation on consumer product safety and a regulation on market surveillance of products. These proposals answers in many ways  the problems raised by IMCO.
 
Ms Pietikäinen is positive with the provisions aimed at strengthening the administrative cooperation, but would like to see better standardisation of customs controls at entry points into the EU internal market and would also be interested in seeing a gradual empowerment of EU institutions on market surveillance and would like to look into possibilities of using third party testing of certain products.
Ms Schaldemose is generally positive and is especially happy that the market surveillance provisions have been compiled in one legal instrument, but also see room for improvement; there is a need for a reference to the precautionary principle, vulnerable consumers need to be sufficiently protected, safety by design should be looked into and the CE-mark needs to be revised in some way. Ms Schaldemose pointed out that the country of origin marking is first and foremost a traceability measure and was generally positive towards it. Both Rapporteurs believes a pan-European injury and accident database would be a big step forward in focusing market surveillance and standardisation the right areas.

 
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MEPs close deal with Council on safer, greener watercraft
IMCO 08-05-2013 - 17:44  

A provisional deal on updated watercraft rules to make them safer and greener was struck by MEPs and Irish EU presidency negotiators on Wednesday. It also scraps the misleading names of boat design categories in order to give consumers clearer information.

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Parliament strikes informal deal to update EU customs code
IMCO 23-04-2013 - 11:10  

A provisional deal updating the EU customs code to keep pace with IT development was struck by MEPs and Irish EU presidency negotiators on Tuesday. It paves the way for paper-free customs transactions, including fast-track processing for trusted companies.

Presentation and responsibilities
 
Committee responsible for:
 
1.    coordination at Community level of national legislation in the sphere of the internal market and for the customs union, in particular:

(a)    the free movement of goods including the harmonisation of technical standards,
(b)    the right of establishment,
(c)    the freedom to provide services except in the financial and postal sectors;

2.    measures aiming at the identification and removal of potential obstacles to the functioning of the internal market;
 
3.    the promotion and protection of the economic interests of consumers, except for public health and food safety issues, in the context of the establishment of the internal market.
 
 
Today's broadcasts
 
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13-05-2013 - 15:12   IMCO Meeting   Watch the meeting
07-05-2013 - 09:07   IMCO Meeting   Watch the meeting
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Welcome words
 
Malcolm HARBOUR - © European Union, 2010  
 

The Single Market and its free movement of people, goods and services is one of the absolute foundations of the EU. It has provided prosperity and growth, jobs, mobility and freedom of choice to Europe's citizens and businesses.
 
In the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer protection, we believe that citizens must be placed at the heart of the Single Market. It is our mission to ensure that people can establish themselves anywhere within the EU, to work, study or set up a business.
 
We want to make sure that consumers know their rights and feel assured that they are safe and protected when buying products in the EU, whether in their local shop or when shopping online across borders.
 
We aim to make clear rules for businesses, and to make life simpler for small firms while expanding their market opportunities in making, selling or providing services.
 
The Internal Market Committee initiated the Single Market Act to give a fresh impetus to the Single Market. We remain committed to deliver on its proposals as quickly as possible. Only a well functioning Single European Market can ensure our prosperity and competitiveness in the world in the decades to come.
 
Malcolm Harbour CBE
Chair of the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection