Memo: Visit of Commissioner Kuneva to the People’s Republic of China: frequently asked questions on product safety

EU Consumer Commissioner Meglena Kuneva will visit the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong on 9-13 June 2008. The principal aim of the visit is to take stock of progress with regard to the commitments made a year ago during her visit in July 2007 to strengthen EU-China product safety controls The visit will also provide an opportunity to discuss plans for future co-operation, in particular, the revision of the current EU-China Memorandum of Understanding on consumer product safety and the preparation of the first EU-China-US trilateral summit on product safety in Brussels this November. She will take this opportunity to express condolences to the Chinese for the many victims of the recent earthquake. In Beijing, Commissioner Kuneva will meet Mr Li Changjiang, the Minister responsible for AQSIQ (General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine), and Mr Zhou Bohua, the Minister for Industry and Commerce. The discussion topics include the results of the EU Report 'Evaluation of the safety measures in the toy supply chain' and also the effectiveness of the RAPEX-China alert system for dangerous products including the quarterly reporting. The Commissioner will participate in a Round Table with civil society on EU-China relations in the consumer policy field (with the Chinese Consumer Association, industry representatives, academics, etc.), and deliver a speech at the University for International Business and Economics on 'Shared Global Responsibilities'. On her visit to Guangzhou, one of the main toy producing regions, the Commissioner will visit the local quality control and testing center, where she will discuss export controls and obtain an overview of the product safety chain in China. In Hong Kong she will meet local authorities and businesses including the local 'Toys Council'.

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