Product Inspection (Imported and Domestic) and Regulation: Applying the EU System in Egypt

The current situation in Egypt involves multiple agencies undertaking inspection and conformity assessment of industrial goods, including the Industrial Control Authority, Domestic trade sector, Egyptian Organization for Standardization, and General Organization for Export and Import Control. However, these agencies employ different procedures and systems, resulting in varying levels of safety and quality among domestic and imported goods. The current system focuses primarily on quality rather than safety, health, and environmental concerns, as required by the World Trade Organization (WTO). This has led to a lack of coordination between agencies in product alerts, traceback, and recalls, as well as a high likelihood of non-compliance with WTO national treatment provisions. As a result, Egyptian factories and consumers lack confidence in the safety of goods sold in Egypt. To address these challenges, the Ministry of Trade and Industry aims to adopt a unified inspection and conformity assessment system similar to the European Union (EU) system. The proposed plan involves establishing a single market surveillance authority that targets high-risk domestic and imported goods, focusing on safety, health, and environmental concerns rather than quality. The authority will work closely with Customs and employ strict standards based on 22 EU industrial product directives. The proposed system will also include conformity assessment procedures that ensure compliance with directives and result in the issuance of a conformity mark. Manufacturers and authorized representatives will be required to maintain technical documentation and file a declaration of conformity. The system will also incorporate the General Product Safety Directive and Product Liability Directive to ensure compliance with EU regulations. The adoption of the EU approach in Egypt is expected to raise the level of sophistication of the Egyptian industry, enabling it to compete more effectively in the EU and other markets. The system will also boost industrial and consumer good exports to the EU and EU investment in Egypt. Furthermore, the unified inspection and conformity assessment system will target high-risk products, reducing unnecessary official visits to industry and promoting the manufacture, sale, and distribution of safer products in Egypt. The EU approach to product regulation and conformity assessment involves the "New Approach" and "Global Approach" frameworks. The "New Approach" focuses on essential health and safety requirements, while the "Global Approach" emphasizes the use of harmonized standards. The EU system also includes critical complementary laws, such as the General Product Safety Directive and Product Liability Directive, which ensure compliance with EU regulations. The EU market surveillance system is designed to monitor and enforce compliance with EU regulations, with responsibilities shared among manufacturers, distributors, importers, and other parties. In Egypt, the EU system will be adapted to address the country's specific needs and challenges. The proposed system will be based on the EU's "New Approach" and "Global Approach" frameworks, with a focus on safety, health, and environmental concerns. The system will also incorporate critical complementary laws and other important features of EU product regulation. The EU market surveillance system will be adapted to ensure compliance with EU regulations and promote the manufacture, sale, and distribution of safer products in Egypt.