EMARS 2 aimed to further enhance the market surveillance of non-food consumer products in Europe. This was achieved through the practical application and fine-tuning of the best practice developed originally by the first EMARS. The project provided a framework for closer collaboration, within which future Joint Actions (JAs) and coordinated activities on specific products and other market surveillance related issues were identified.
The specific goals of this ambitious project included:
- Developing a more rigorous and systematic approach to the identification and execution of JAs;
- Promoting a more consistent approach to market surveillance through the development of best practice and a training programme for market surveillance officials in the field of consumer product safety;
- Ensuring adequate liaison between market surveillance authorities and standards development;
- Improving collaboration with customs officials;
- Improving operational level collaboration with relevant enforcement authorities outside the EEA.
EMARS 2 was carried out by 21 EEA countries and co-financed by the European Union. PROSAFE managed the project and represented the contracting party with the Commission on behalf of the participating Member States. The project finished in the end of 2011 and consisted out of eight tasks and a horizontal task to ensure the overall coordination:
- Task A. Best Practice
- Task B. Management and Planning of Future Joint Actions
- Task C. Risk Assessment
- Task D. Market surveillance guidance material for external stakeholders
- Task E. Training
- Task F. Continuous improvement of national market surveillance programmes
- Task G. Standards related activities
- Task H. Liaison with Notified Bodies
The Final Implementation Report of the EMARS 2 provides information about the activities undertaken, the participants involved, the results obtained and a financial statement comparing all expenditures against the budget. EMARS 2 was an ambitious project. Its prime task was to continue the development and consolidation of the innovative work done by EMARS 1.
The Final Strategy being developed as a deliverable from the EMARS II project has been finalised. We kindly recommend you to consult the letter from the Project Leader, Mr. Gunnar Wold, and to download a copy of the document here.