Cooperative effort between Federal Network Agency and Federal Environment Agency | Umweltbundesamt

The Federal Network Agency has a highly functional system of market surveillance in place.  At points of sale of electrical and electronic devices, for example, it monitors their statutorily regulated electromagnetic tolerance.  As concerns the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act, UBA is responsible for taking action against manufacturer violations of the mandatory registration of products with the responsible organ, the Foundation Elektro-Altgeraete Register (EAR).

Manufacturers of electrical and electronic equipment are obliged to register their products with the EAR and receive a registration number upon doing so.  This number must be included on bills of delivery.  In future, the Federal Network Agency will routinely check registration numbers, for this number reveals which manufacturer launched an electrical/electronic device on the German market for the first time.  Absence of such a number is grounds for suspicion of a regulatory offence as per the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act.  The Federal Network Agency will advise UBA and initiate proceedings for the preservation of evidence.   

This cooperation will allow UBA to monitor regulatory offences more efficiently, and efforts to preserve evidence will not be doubled.