Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on market surveillance and compliance of products and amending Directive 2004/42/EC and Regulations (EC) No 765/2008 and (EC) No 305/2011 applies from 16 July 2021. Regulation (EC) 2019/1020 replaces the framework for market surveillance and control of products placed on the Union market established by Regulation (EC) No 765/2008.
In pursuance of the provisions of Article 13 of Regulation (EC) 2019/1020 each Member State shall draw up and adopt a national market surveillance strategy at least every four years and the first such strategy shall be drawn up by 16 July 2022. The comprehensive strategy provided for in the Regulation replaces the obligation for Member States to draw up annual national market surveillance programmes and should promote a consistent, comprehensive and integrated approach to market surveillance and to the enforcement of Union harmonisation legislation within the territory of the Member State concerned.
The national market surveillance strategy covers information on all product sectors falling within the scope of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 – the acts of Union harmonisation legislation as listed in Annex I of the Regulation, and information on the control of products entering the Union market.
In the process of elaboration of their national market surveillance strategies the EU Member States may use a template for drafting a national market surveillance strategy. The template has been developed and adopted by the EU Product Compliance Network (EUPCN) established according to Article 29 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 with a view to facilitating the Member States and applying a uniform approach when drafting the strategies. The template is optional for the Member States to use but it is recommendable with a view of subsequent evaluations of the strategy implementation by partnership groups set up within the EUPCN.
The strategy is communicated by each Member State through its Single Liaison Office to the other Member States and to the European Commission through the Information and Communication System for Market Surveillance (ICSMS). Some of the information in the form of a summary of the strategy should be publicly accessible.
In the process of implementation of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 the first National Market Surveillance Strategy has been developed which covers activities for the period from 1 January 2022 till 31 December 2025.
Summary of the National Market Surveillance Strategy of Bulgaria.
Single Liaison Office (SLO)
In pursuance of Article 10, paragraph 2 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 a single liaison office (SLO) is appointed and functions in each Member State which is the coordinating unit between the national market surveillance authorities and the authorities in charge of the control of products entering the Union market.
In Bulgaria the functions of SLO are entrusted to the Ministry of Economy and Industry through Directorate EU affairs and EU legislation for goods and services.