The High-level European Union – China – United States Consumer Product Safety Trilateral Summit took important further step.

Ensuring a high level of product safety is a matter of shared concern for the European Union, China and the United States. Combined efforts and intensified cooperation are in the mutual interest of our citizens and economies.

Following the successful “Joint U.S.-EU-China Initiative on Consumer Product Safety Compliance” held in China in September 2008, the product safety authorities of the European Union (European Commission, EC), the U.S. (Consumer Product Safety Commission, CPSC) and China (General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, AQSIQ) today took an important further step in strengthening their trilateral cooperation in this area.

Mrs. Kuneva, the European Commissioner responsible for Consumer Affairs, welcomed to Brussels U.S. CPSC Chairman Nord and AQSIQ Vice Minister Wei to discuss at the highest level key developments and further joint activities that could be undertaken to improve cooperation and the exchange of information relating to consumer product safety. This top-level Tripartite summit took place in a spirit of resolve, openness and mutual respect. Consensus was reached on the following points:

1. The Tripartite participants confirm that the ability of global supply chains to deliver safe products to consumers is paramount. Consumers worldwide must be able to trust the safety of products they buy on a day-to-day basis.

2. The Tripartite participants agree that, given the ever-increasing EU-China-U.S. share of global consumer product trade, product safety is an area of shared concern and that enhanced cooperation and resolution of existing and future issues is essential to ensure the safety of consumer products.

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