Safety of luminaires: a severe and big issue tackled by CELMA
Nearly all products tested presented severe safety defects, which could endanger the safety of the final users. Most of the products tested came from Far East producers.

> View the PRESS RELEASE below
> View the AGENDA
> View the LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

>> Introduction to CELMA, Stéphanie Mittelham
>> Results of tests of luminaires undertaken by CELMA members and problems identified by CELMA manufacturers:

- Tests in ITALY: Paolo Targetti, President of ASSIL
- Tests in SPAIN: Alfredo Berges, Director of ANFALUM
- Tests in FRANCE: Bernard Duval, Syndicat de l’Eclairage
- Tests in GERMANY: Dieter Schornick, ZVEI

>> Results of Market Surveillance tests done at the “Asian Floor” of Light + Building, Haimo Huhle, ZVEI Action Platform Safe Products
>> Needs and Positions of national Market Surveillance Authorities:

- In Germany: Stefan Pemp, Chairman German Market Surveillance authorities Working Group
- In Europe: Dr. Georg Hilpert, Chairman of Low Voltage Directive Administrative Co-operation Working Group on Market Surveillance
- Proposals from the European Commission to improve Market Surveillance in the EU Member States presented by Jacques McMillan, European Commission - DG Enterprise, in charge of the revision of the New Approach and Market Surveillance.

Urgent necessity for the industry to have level playing fields and secured rules for FAIR COMPETITION within the EU. It is urgently required to force the EU Member States to improve the market surveillance in their territories as more than half of the unsafe products discovered in the EU are coming from Far East countries, which just ignore the existing EU regulations.

Safety of luminaires - A severe and big issue tackled by CELMA

CELMA, which represents and defends in Brussels the interests of luminaires and electrotechnical components for luminaires’ manufacturers, organized a Market Surveillance Forum during the Light + Building Exhibition in Frankfurt on 26 April 2006.

The CELMA Market Surveillance Forum was attended by over 70 participants; the European Commission, Market Surveillance authority officials from EU Member States, CEOs and representatives from the lighting industry, the lighting press and several other European and national stakeholders.

CELMA Members’ Associations from France, Germany, Italy and Spain presented the results of tests of luminaires taken from the market by national certification institutes, like IMQ, LCIE and VDE. Nearly all products tested presented severe safety defects, which could endanger the safety of the final users. Most of the products tested came from Far East producers. The results of Market Surveillance tests done at the “Far East Hall” of Light + Building have also been presented.

The needs and positions of national market surveillance authorities and the European Low Voltage Directive Administration Co-operation Working Group on Market Surveillance have been presented. A first EU cross border wide pilot project will start shortly to test portable luminaires sold in all EU Member States.

Mr. Jacques McMillan from the European Commission, Head of Unit “Legal aspects linked to internal market” - DG Enterprise and Industry, explained how the EU intends to improve market surveillance in the European Member States with the coming revision of the New Approach.

In the round table discussion the questions from the audience focused on the urgent necessity for the industry to have level playing fields and secured rules for FAIR COMPETITION within the EU. Otherwise further valuable work places will be destroyed. Joint actions with the European Commission are urgently required to force the EU Member States to improve the market surveillance in their territories as more than half of the unsafe products discovered in the EU are coming from Far East countries, which just ignore the existing EU regulations.

All presentations made during the CELMA Market Surveillance Forum, the agenda and list of participants are available at the CELMA website: www.celma.org. If you need any further information on this Market Surveillance Forum or on CELMA in general, please do not hesitate to contact Stéphanie Mittelham, CELMA Managing Director (stephanie.mittelham@celma.org – Tel:+32 2 706 87 12). Thank you for your attention.

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