On 22 April 2025, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) hosted a workshop on Business Law Flow Report 2024 & Quality Assessment Report Recommendations for the Development of Technical Standards and Regulations.
Representing EuroCham was EuroCham’s Nutritional Foods Group Sector Committee’s Head of Technical Working Group Nguyen Hong Uy. The workshop also welcomed VCCI’s leaders and experts, including:
- Mr. Pham Tan Cong – Chairman of VCCI
- Mr. Dau Anh Tuan – Deputy General Secretary cum Head of Legal department of VCCI
- Mrs. Pham Chi Lan – Economist
- Mr. Nguyen Dinh Cung – Economist
The challenge: Inefficiency of pre-checks for conformity
Speaking at the workshop, Mr. Nguyen Hong Uy raised questioned the necessity of mandatory conformity announcement procedures for nutritional products. Mr. Uy shared that recently, hundreds of products had been granted registration certificates by regulatory authorities, including confirmation of compliance with technical standards. However, the products were still later revealed to be counterfeit.
Mr. Uy highlighted a paradox: state management agencies currently focus heavily on pre-market procedures (pre-checks), while post-market surveillance (post-checks) is often overlooked. He explained that counterfeiters exploit the government-issued conformity certificates to mislead consumers into believing that their products are officially verified as safe and high-quality by state authorities.
The way forward: Balancing pre-check and post-check regulations
This issue raised the need for a more balanced regulatory approach, where post-market monitoring is strengthened to protect consumers and ensure genuine product quality, rather than over-relying on pre-approval documentation.
EuroCham’s Nutritional Foods Group Sector Committee has been actively working to advocate for implementation of a modern, risk-based management system instead of over-reliance on pre-inspection measures – a Must-Win Battle for 2025.
