17. 2. 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 40/1 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 339/93 of 8 February 1593 on checks for conformity with the rules on product safety in the case of products imported from third countries THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 113 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (), Whereas products may not be placed on the Community market unless they conform to the rules applicable; whereas Member States are thus responsible for carrying out checks on their conformity ; Whereas, in view of the abolition of controls at the Community’s internal frontiers in accordance with Article 8a of the Treaty, Member States should, when carrying out controls at external frontiers, act in accor- dance with comparable detailed rules in order to avoid any distortion which might adversely affect safety and health ; Whereas, with due regard for the powers of, and the means available to, the national administrations concerned, the customs authorities must, in the case of products from third countries, be closely involved in the market-monitoring operations and information systems provided for under Community and national rules; Whereas, in particular, if the customs authorities find, when carrying out checks in connection with releases for free circulation, that goods display certain characteristics which would give rise to a serious doubt as to the exis- tence of a serious and immediate risk to health and safety, these authorities must be in a position to suspend the release of those goods and to inform the national authori- ties responsible for monitoring the market so that the latter may take suitable action; Whereas the same should apply when, in the same circumstances, the customs authorities find that a docu- ment which should accompany the products is missing and/or products are not market as specified in the Community or national rules on product safety in force in the Member State where release of the products for free circulation is sought ; () OJ No C 329, 15. 12. 1992, p. 3. Whereas, in the interests of effectiveness and coordina- tion, Member States must designate the national authority or authorities responsible for monitoring the market which must be notified by the customs authorities in the cases referred to above ; Whereas, when thus notified, the authority responsible must be in a position to verify that the products concerned comply with the Community or national rules on product safety ; Whereas, however, such authority must act within a suffi- ciently short period in the light of the serious doubt referred to above and the  international commitments entered into by the Community, in particular with regard to checks on conformity with technical standards; Whereas, therefore, unless the national authorities respon- sible for monitoring the market take action, including the adoption of interim protective measures, within that same period, the release of the products in question for free circulation must be authorized provided that all the other import formalities have been completed ; Whereas, however, this Regulation should, in the interests of consistency, apply only in so far as Community rules on health and safety do not contain specific provisions relating to the organization of border controls on specific products ; Whereas such controls should comply, on the one hand, with the principle of proportionality and thus be strictly in keeping with requirements and, on the other, with the obligations set out in the International Convention on the Harmonization of Frontier Controls of Goods, which was approved on behalf of the Community by virtue of Council Regulation (EEC) No 1262/84(); Whereas, in order to ensure a high level of safety in respect of import operations, the Commission and each Member State should seek to ensure the transparency of the measures taken to implement this Regulation, while all the Member States should provide each other with the necessary assistance ; () OJ No L 126, 12. 5. 1984, p. 1.