Report on the Activities of the Market Surveillance Agency of BiH for 2023 Released

The Report on the Work of the Market Surveillance Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2023 has been published in draft form.

The report presents the results of the surveillance conducted in 2023 in collaboration with the relevant inspections of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Srpska, and the Brčko District. The focus was on checking the compliance of products on the market with the prescribed safety requirements.

Proactive market surveillance was carried out in accordance with the annual market surveillance plan for 2023. This surveillance covered 20 product groups and included 232 inspection controls. Out of 197 different product models checked (171 of which were laboratory tested), 104 models (53%) did not meet the prescribed safety requirements.

A total of 3,790 pieces of unsafe products were withdrawn from the market, of which 3,004 pieces were destroyed. Business entities voluntarily or by inspection order, adjusted 24,638 pieces of products to meet the prescribed safety requirements.

Reactive market surveillance was conducted based on market conditions, information from business entities, consumer complaints, and information on injuries caused by products. Notifications about unsafe products from the European Union's Safety Gate system were also monitored.

In 2023, 19 reactive surveillances were initiated, and in 13 cases, it was found that the disputed products were present on the market of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As a result, 369 pieces of unsafe products were withdrawn from the market, while 5 products were returned by consumers.

As a total result of the surveillance, 55 models of unsafe products posing a serious risk to consumers were found on the market of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Of these, 14 (about 25%) models are toys and electrical equipment, 10 are children's products, 8 are personal protective equipment, etc.

According to the Safety Gate report for 2023, in the European Union, the highest number of unsafe products (35%) falls into the category of cosmetic products. This is followed by toys (13%) and motor vehicles (12%). It should be noted that the range of product categories inspected in Bosnia and Herzegovina is significantly smaller than that in the European Union.

By origin, 82% of unsafe products posing a serious risk to consumers in Bosnia and Herzegovina originate from China. In the European Union, only 37% of non-compliant products originate from China.

By type of risk, 24 (about 43%) product models posed a risk of injury, 9 models posed a chemical risk and a risk of electric shock or fire, 7 models posed a choking hazard, etc.

As we can see, just over 16% of unsafe products posed a chemical risk. This percentage is lower compared to 2022 (about 25%).

In the European Union, 51% of cases of unsafe products posed a chemical risk, making this the most common risk. The percentage of products with a chemical risk increased compared to 2022 when it was 35%.

The Market Surveillance Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina was established by the Law on Market Surveillance in Bosnia and Herzegovina ("Official Gazette of BiH", No. 45/04, 44/07, and 102/09). Together with the inspection bodies of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Srpska, and the Brčko District, the Agency forms the market surveillance system.

Among other things, the Agency is responsible for coordinating and harmonizing the activities of the market surveillance system, participating in the preparation and drafting of all product safety regulations, and informing the public and interested parties about risks and dangerous products.

According to the draft Work Program of the Market Surveillance Agency of BiH for 2024, it is planned to inspect 195 products on the market as part of the market surveillance activities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

If you need assistance with aligning chemical products with regulations, feel free to contact me at nina.pajovic@bens-consulting.eu.