Market surveillance developments in Europe

The free movement of goods and the removal of technical barriers to trade are key elements of the European Union (EU) single-market program and the European system for conformity assessment which is referred to as the new approach. The function of the EU single-market program depends on the vigilance of manufacturers in ensuring that products meet essential health and safety requirements and on the product monitoring performed by national authorities once the products are on the market. This monitoring, called market surveillance, is critical for maintaining consumer and business confidence in the present conformity assessment system.