The purpose of market surveillance is to ensure that the devices and equipment being sold and imported are safe for people’s health, property and the environment, and that they will not pose a hazard when installed and used correctly.
How is market surveillance carried out?
Market surveillance is carried out reactively and proactively. Reactive surveillance is conducted based on notifications from consumers as well as notifications coming from the Safety Gate rapid alert system, among other things. Proactive surveillance is carried out with different kinds of surveillance campaigns as well as inspections conducted on the premises of economic operators.
The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom) implements market surveillance by drawing up reports and conducting inspections. Traficom can also take products to be tested and examined.
What methods can the market surveillance authority use?
The market surveillance authority Traficom can take measures in accordance with the Vehicles Act, framework regulations, the Act on Conditional Fines and the Consumer Protection Act when it discovers defective products on the market that pose a hazard or do not comply with the requirements. If a product on the market is found to be dangerous, Traficom can prohibit the manufacture, import, placing on the market or commissioning of the product and demand that the products be withdrawn from the market.
What products does Traficom control as a market surveillance authority?
- Cars, busses, vans, trucks and their trailers
- Mopeds, motorcycles and quadricycles
- Tractors, motorised work machine and their trailers
- Different parts, systems and equipment of vehicles, such as lamps and tyres
- Safety equipments used on road, such as helmets and child safety seats
- Bicycles
- Light electric vehicles, such as e-scooters
- Light automatic goods transporters
- Snowmobiles
- Other products within the scope of application of the Vehicles Act (1090/2002)