Economy Minister Andrej Vizjak welcomed on Thursday the passing of a key legislative package on the internal market in goods which the European Parliament adopted in first reading earlier today. Vizjak told the press in Ljubljana that the package mainly benefited small and medium companies (SMEs).
According to Economy Ministry's Peter Vrtacnik, the package eliminates national legislation that has so far hindered the flow of some EUR 500bn worth of goods in the so far non-harmonised market.
The impact of national legislations regarding the proof of conformity of products was mainly felt by SMEs, which had to prove that their products conformed to rules in various member states. This limited some 80% of SMEs to only sell their products on their domestic markets, Vrtacnik said.
The package meanwhile transfers the burden of proof to authorising bodies in member states.
Vizjak assessed that the package eliminated a type of protectionism that was harmful to the customers as well as the level of competition.
The European Commission meanwhile said that if mutual recognition of goods worked, the EU's GDP would rise by 1.8%.
The package includes two regulations and a decision designed to remove barriers to the free movement of goods while improving consumer safety, according to the European Parliament's press release.
It covers a large proportion of products marketed in the EU in over 20 industrial sectors, including electro-technical products, machinery, radio/telecoms equipment, toys, medical devices, construction products and high speed rail systems.
The Parliament also adopted in first reading a regulation on the requirements for accreditation and market surveillance related to the marketing of products, the press release reads.
The regulation aims to improve the efficiency of existing instruments and clearly define the responsibilities of manufacturers and importers as well as member states to ensure the safety of marketed products.
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