Between September 23-27, 2024, the Polish Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) hosted a study visit by representatives of the Georgian Market Surveillance Agency, as part of a twinning project funded by the European Union. The project aims to strengthen the capabilities of the Georgian Market Surveillance Authority.

The main goal of the meeting in Poland was to familiarize the Georgian partners with practical aspects of the Polish market supervision system and general product safety. The visit facilitated the exchange of experiences between market surveillance authorities with similar competencies and introduced the Georgian side to EU regulatory practices.

During the visit, experts from UOKiK presented the activities carried out in these areas by the Office and Provincial Inspectorates of Trade Inspection, including interesting cases and studies. Discussions also covered issues related to information exchange within EU information exchange systems ICSMS and Safety Gate RAPEX.

Additionally, the guests had the opportunity to visit the UOKiK laboratory in Lublin to learn about toy safety and control. An interesting aspect of the study visit was a visit to the Baltic Container Terminal in Gdynia, where experts from the Customs Chamber in Gdańsk and Szczecin shared practical knowledge on the activities of Polish customs services and presented practical aspects of cooperation.

Another significant aspect of the event was the signing of a bilateral cooperation agreement between UOKiK and the Georgian Market Surveillance Authority. The agreement aims to facilitate mutual exchange of information and experiences in the areas of market surveillance, product safety, and consumer protection between the two countries.