Product Info Point

In order to improve the free movement of goods within the EEA states, Product Contact Points have been established in each contracting state of the EEA. The Product Contact Points are intended to facilitate access to the national market for economic operators from other contracting states of the EEA.

Their main task is to provide information on products for which no uniform EEA-wide regulations have yet been adopted (non-harmonized area). This includes, in particular, information on applicable national product regulations. These are laws, regulations or administrative provisions that result in requirements for a product, such as with regard to composition, form, size, marking, packaging, labeling.

Individual statements are issued by the Product Contact Point upon written request.

In Liechtenstein, the tasks of the Product Contact Point are carried out by the Office of Economic Affairs.

Inquiries

Inquiries about national technical rules for these products and the Liechtenstein offices responsible for them should be sent by e-mail to the following address [email protected]. Inquiries to the Product Info Point are free of charge and will be answered within 15 days.

The Product Info Point provides information on:

• technical rules for a product
• national product approvals
• authorities responsible for approvals, prior authorizations and market surveillance

Please provide as much information about your product as possible. Also state the contracting state of the EEA in which the product is already lawfully on the market and which regulations it complies with in that state.

Background

The establishment of the Product Contact Points is based on the Regulation (EC) No. 764/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 09 July 2008 laying down procedures to facilitate the free movement of goods in the internal market.

The aim of this regulation is to give greater effect to the principle of mutual recognition that applies in the internal market. It is applied to products whose technical regulations are not unified by EEA specifications (non-harmonized area). This principle states that a Contracting State to the EEA may not prohibit the marketing of products lawfully manufactured and/or marketed in another Contracting State to the EEA, even if they do not comply with all the regulations in force in the Member State of destination (Article 11 EEA Agreement). Exceptions to this principle are only permitted if justified under Article 13 of the EEA Agreement or for overriding reasons of general interest.