The principle of free movement of goods implies that products can be traded freely from one to another part of the Union. In large number of sectors, this general principle is complemented by harmonized regulatory framework according to the “old approach (imposing precise product specifications) or the “new approach” (imposing general product requirements).
The harmonized European legislation on products, which needs to be transposed, accounts for the largest part of this chapter. In addition, adequate administrative capacity is of crucial importance for implementation of trade restrictions and for application of horizontal and procedural measures in the areas such as standardisation, conformity assessment, accreditation, metrology, and market surveillance.