The European Union's top consumer affairs official heads for China next week to seek improvements in the country's product safety standards, REPORTED DPA. The visit by EU commissioner Meglena Kuneva from July 22-26 comes amid growing concern in Europe and the US about the safety of Chinese exports of consumer goods such as toys and toothpaste. Kuneva is set to meet senior Chinese officials as well as representatives of Chinese industry and consumer associations. She will also visit toy factories and a testing laboratory. "Her aim is to ensure...further actions to improve the safety track record of Chinese manufactured non-food consumer goods," said the European Commission, the EU's executive body. Officials said Kuneva would also discuss issues such as enforcement of safety and quality standards, rapid alert systems and effective market surveillance. The commissioner will insist that "trust in the market is essential," an official said, adding that it was in both China and the EU's interest to build strong co-operation and to expand the EU-China product safety monitoring system. The commission said that its rapid alert system for dangerous consumer products had been notified of defective toys, electrical appliances, cars, cosmetics and lighting equipment, half of which originated in China. China exported goods worth 191 billion euros to the EU in 2006, running up a trade surplus of 128 billion euros.
