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China fails to deliver on product safety: European watchdog
2007-07-24
China has failed to respond adequately when asked to act on complaints from European nations about unsafe Chinese exports, the EU's consumer watchdog chief said here Tuesday. Under an accord that took effect in May last year, China agreed to provide reports every three months on the actions taken in response to complaints from the European Commission about problem Chinese goods. But European Commissioner for Consumer Protection Meglena Kuneva told reporters that China had only provided two such reports since then. "It's not enough," said Kuneva, who is on a five-day visit to China. "This has not been executed properly ... two reports are not what we had expected." There were 440 Chinese products registered with the European Commission as being dangerous last year that were then referred to the Chinese government for it to look into, act upon and then give feedback. Toys, electrical goods and lights were among the most common product items that were subject to complaints, according to a European Commission official in Beijing. Kuneva said the failure of China to live up to its commitment to provide the reports was the main reason for her visit and that she had secured commitments from senior Chinese officials this week that they would do more. "One of the most important outcomes of these meetings is that I received a commitment to have the third quarterly report (in October)," she said, adding China had agreed to issue reports every three months from now on. Kuneva's visit comes as China faces unprecedented scrutiny over the safety of all its exports. Poisonous pet food ingredients, dangerous toys and drugs, toxic toothpaste, low-grade car tyres and other products from China have led to a spate of recalls and bans worldwide. Kuneva on Monday told reporters that China need to move more aggressively against the makers of dangerous goods that had triggered the global fears over Chinese-made products. "Yes, there has been improvement (in China) but ... there is a need for more stepped-up reforms of the market and market surveillance," she said. Among the officials Kuneva has met this week was the head of China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, Li Changjiang.
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