A workshop on "Traceability: a tool for managing risks" was held as part of the 21st annual session of Working Party. Download the report in (ENG, FRE, RUS)
The workshop aimed at:
- Discussing how traceability may contribute to managing risks in supply chains;
- Assessing related costs and benefits for stakeholders;
- Sharing best practices on implementing traceability solutions.
What is traceability?
- Traceability is “the ability to trace the history, application or location” of goods and services;
- Tracing back a product or its components allows companies to increase the stability and transparency of procurement and production processes;
- Traceability tools assists regulators and business companies address concerns by consumers and the general public;
- Market surveillance authorities can use traceability tools to take prompt and targeted action in case a dangerous product is placed on the market, e.g. to perform efficient product withdrawals.
Why is WP.6 the right place to discuss traceability?
As an intergovernmental body, WP.6 is uniquely placed to promote the use of standards and tools - developed by regional and international organizations as well as the private sector – as the basis for better and more convergent regulatory policies.
Following the successful 2009 Conference on “Risk Assessment and Management” the Working Party will now discuss traceability as one important and concrete way of addressing risks in supply chains and regulatory systems.
What was discussed?
- Which standards can regulatory stakeholders use as tools to increase traceability of inputs used in production processes? Which standards can be used to increase traceability within supply chains?
- What are the costs and benefits associated with increasing traceability? What are these costs and benefits for regulators, business companies, market surveillance authorities, and other stakeholders?
- How has traceability been used by regulators in different sectors and different countries? What are the positive and negative aspects of imposing traceability requirements? Under which conditions traceability requirements help to achieve regulatory goals?
- How are conformity assessment bodies and market surveillance authorities using and could use different tools to increase traceability?
- What is the business experience of increasing traceability within production or service provision processes? What is the business experience in implementing regulatory requirements on traceability?
- Which IT solutions can regulatory stakeholders use to increase traceability within regulatory systems?
- What are the most common risks faced by regulatory stakeholders in increasing traceability of production processes?
- What are the most effective ways of communication among regulatory stakeholders within projects aimed at increasing traceability
Who attended?
- Regulatory authorities
- Business companies
- Standardization bodies
- Market Surveillance Authorities
- Conformity Assessment Bodies
and all other organizations who develop and use traceability tools within production processes and the management of supply chains.
Documents
Concept note by the Secretariat for the Workshop on traceability as a tool for managing risks (ECE/TRADE/C/WP.6/2011/5)
Other reports provided by the delegates:
- Traceability issues in the European Union (case study of blood transfusion sector)