Working Party on Technical Harmonisation

Role

The Working Party on Technical Harmonisation deals with policy matters aimed at removing obstacles to intra-EU trade in goods whilst guaranteeing the free movement of industrial products and a high level of safety for consumers.

The working party prepares the work of the Competitiveness Council.

Composition and meetings

The working party is composed of national experts from EU member states.

The working party meets in different formations depending on the topics discussed. Three permanent subgroups deal with:

• motor vehicles
• construction products
• dangerous substances/chemicals

In addition, the working party gathers experts from different fields depending on the proposal discussed (for example: toys, textiles, recreational craft, measuring instruments etc).

The working party and the subgroups are chaired by the rotating presidency. The frequency of their meetings depends on the number of files on the table.