Product Contact Point (PCP)

About the PCP

The Product Contact Point (PCP) is a free information service for economic operators or the competent Authorities of other EU Member States who wish to obtain, in a correct and transparent manner, information on the application of certain national technical rules to products lawfully marketed in another Member State of the European Union.

Services provided by the PCP

The PCP, established in order to facilitate the free movement of goods, contributes to the objective of strengthening the functioning of the internal market.

In particular, the PCP provides information on national technical rules and the application of the principle of mutual recognition laid down in Regulation (EU) 515/2019. The principle of mutual recognition derives from the case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Union. According to that principle, Member States may not prohibit the sale in their territory of goods that are lawfully marketed in another Member State, even if those goods, including those that are not the result of a manufacturing process, have been produced in accordance with different technical rules.

However, Member States may restrict the placing on the market of goods lawfully marketed in another Member State when restrictions are justified on the grounds set out in Article 36 TFEU or on the basis of other overriding reasons of public interest recognised by the case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Union in relation to the free movement of goods, and when such restrictions are proportionate to the objective pursued. In that case, the competent national Authority shall contact the economic operator concerned and inform it of the assessment referred to in Article 5 of Regulation (EU) 515/2019, indicating the goods that are subject to that assessment, and specifying the applicable national technical rule or the prior authorisation procedure.

Following the evaluation procedure referred to in Article 5, the competent Authority issues an administrative decision. The PCP also provides feedback on:

• The direct contact details of the national competent Authorities, including those of the Authorities responsible for supervising the implementation of the national technical rules applicable in the territory of the relevant Member State;
• The remedies and national procedures available in the event of a dispute between the competent authority and an economic operator.

The Product Contact Point shall also provide, at the request of an economic operator or a competent Authority of another Member State, electronic copies of national technical rules and national administrative procedures applicable to specific goods or a specific type of goods in the territory or online access to those rules and procedures, as well as information on whether those goods, or goods of that type, are subject to prior authorisation under national law.

How to access the service

Requests for information must be sent to the dedicated PCP institutional email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. It will not be possible to respond to requests that are received via PEC at the above address. Depending on the requests received, feedback may be provided directly by the PCP or by the competent Authorities.

Response times

The Product Contact Point replies within 15 working days of receipt of the requests.

Should any additions or clarifications be needed or the request be particularly complex and require further investigation, the PCP will issue a new deadline within 15 days of receipt of the request.

Remedies in the event of a dispute

In the event of a dispute between the competent Authorities of the Member States and the economic operator, the latter may bring the case before an administrative judge by referring the matter to the Regional Administrative Court (TAR) with territorial jurisdiction (click here for the list of TARs).

Alternatively, the economic operator may use the ‘Solvit procedure’ referred to in Article 8 of Regulation (EU) 515/2019. In Italy, the Solvit centre operates at the Italian Government Presidency of the Council of Ministers- Department for European Policies (DPE) - email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Construction products

Pursuant to Regulation (EU) No. 305/2011, the Product Contact Point also provides information on arrangements to meet the basic requirements of the applicable works for the intended use of each construction product in the territory of the Member State.

Requests for information must be sent to the PCP by email, to the dedicated institutional mailbox: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. It will not be possible to respond to requests that are received via PEC at the above address. Depending on the requests received, feedback may be provided directly by the PCP or by the competent authorities.

Relevant legislation

• Regulation (EU) n. 1024/2012  
• Regulation (EU) 2018/1724 
• Regulation (EU) 2019/515 
• Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 
• Regulation (EU) 305/2011.

This page is part of the European Commission’s Your Europe portal.

 

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