As regards Directive 2001/95/EC, the Commission should be empowered in particular to set out and adapt the principal rules and procedures of notification of serious risks from products. Since those measures are of general scope and are designed to amend non-essential elements of Directive 2001/95/EC, inter alia, by supplementing it with new non-essential elements, they must be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny provided for in Article 5a of Decision 1999/468/EC.
On grounds of efficiency and in particular because the adequacy of the principal rules and procedures regarding notifications of serious risks from products is a precondition for the proper functioning of the rapid alert system, the time-limits for the regulatory procedure with scrutiny should be curtailed.
Accordingly, Directive 2001/95/EC is hereby amended as follows:
Article 4(1)(a) shall be replaced by the following:
the requirements intended to ensure that products which conform to those standards satisfy the general safety requirement shall be determined by the Commission. Those measures, designed to amend non-essential elements of this Directive by supplementing it, shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 15(4);’;
the second subparagraph of Article 5(3) shall be replaced by the following:
‘The Commission shall adapt the specific requirements relating to the obligation to provide information laid down in Annex I. Those measures, designed to amend non-essential elements of this Directive by supplementing it, shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 15(5).’;
Article 12(3) shall be replaced by the following:
‘3.Detailed procedures for RAPEX are set out in Annex II. They shall be adapted by the Commission. Those measures, designed to amend non-essential elements of this Directive by supplementing it, shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 15(5).’;
Article 15 shall be replaced by the following:
1.The Commission shall be assisted by a Committee.
2.Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 5 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof.
The period laid down in Article 5(6) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at 15 days.
3.Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 3 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof.
4.Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 5a(1) to (4) and Article 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof.
5.Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 5a(1) to (4) and (5)(b) and Article 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof.
The time-limits laid down in Article 5a(3)(c) and (4)(b) and (e) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at two months, one month and two months respectively.’.