Dangerous electric cables flood the Bulgarian market. They are imported from Turkey, North Macedonia, China, Bosnia and Herzegovina. They are mainly used in the construction of electrical installations for residential, commercial and other objects for public use. In recent years, their demand has been increasing due to the boom in construction. This is reported by the Bulgarian Association of Electrical Engineering and Electronics (BASEL). Experts warn that these goods must strictly meet production standards. A compromise in quality leads to damage in electrical installations, causes fires and endangers human life.
To deal with this problem, BASEL proposes two measures:
1. To establish an accredited laboratory for testing cable products, in which all cables, including those produced in Bulgaria, are tested for compliance with national and international standards, and to control imports.
2. To create a regulatory document requiring the presentation of a certificate of compliance with the production standard issued by a local laboratory of Bulgarian customs when importing electric cables.
Imported cables cross the Bulgarian border with official documents. The cables “ment“ however, they do not differ outwardly in any way from the “real“. Builders, designers and users have no way of knowing who is at risk of causing accidents and health hazards.
In Bulgaria, there is no regulatory framework for the control of the import of cable products, and the control bodies do not carry out checks on the quality and compliance with the requirements of the standard. The Bulgarian consumer must have a guarantee of quality, because a cheap product can lead to big problems.
„Many EU countries require mandatory certification from an accredited national laboratory to prove compliance of the imported product with the standards”, BASEL explains. In Germany, France, Croatia, Czech Republic, Poland, etc. when importing cables, certificates from local accredited laboratories are required. Such a practice stops the import of fakes and protects people from dangerous goods.
BASEL insists that mandatory certification and control of the import of cable products from third countries be introduced in Bulgaria through regular inspections. This is how Bulgarians will buy safe and quality cable products for their home, office or production. A proposal with measures to limit the import of dangerous electrical cables has also been sent to the Ministry of Economy.