Article 10 — Obligations of importers

1. Importers shall only place compliant detergents or surfactants on the market. 2. Before placing a detergent or surfactant on the market, importers shall ensure that: (a) the manufacturer has carried out the conformity assessment procedure and drawn up the technical documentation referred to in Article 8(2); (b) the information and documentation provided by the manufacturer in accordance with Article 8(7) demonstrate compliance with this Regulation; and (c) the manufacturer has created the digital product passport referred to in Article 8(2), point (a), the data carrier is available in accordance with Article 21(4) and the relevant information on the digital product passport has been included in the registry. 3. Importers shall provide the ingredients data sheet before placing detergents or end-users surfactants on the market and, where needed, update the ingredients data sheet, in accordance with Article 8(6). The importer shall keep the information contained in the ingredients data sheet confidential. 4. Where importers consider or have reason to believe that a detergent or surfactant is not in compliance with this Regulation, they shall not place it on the market until it has been brought into conformity. Furthermore, where the detergent or surfactant poses a risk to human health or to the environment, importers shall inform the manufacturer and the market surveillance authorities to that effect. 5. Importers shall ensure that detergents and surfactants that they place on the market comply with Article 17(1), (3), (4) and (5), Article 18(1), Article 19(1) and (2) and, where applicable, Article 17(2), Article 18(2) and Article 19(3). 6. Importers shall ensure that, while a detergent or surfactant is under their responsibility, its storage or transport conditions do not jeopardise its compliance with this Regulation. 7. Where deemed appropriate with regard to the performance of a detergent or surfactant or to the risks presented by them, importers shall carry out sample testing of such detergent or surfactant, investigate, and, if necessary, keep a register of complaints, of non-compliant detergents and surfactants and of recalls of such detergents and surfactants, and shall keep distributors informed of any such monitoring. 8. Where importers consider or have reason to believe that a detergent or surfactant which they have placed on the market is not in compliance with this Regulation, they shall inform immediately and cooperate with the manufacturer and the competent authorities and shall immediately take the corrective action necessary to bring the detergent or surfactant into conformity, to withdraw it or to recall it, as appropriate. Furthermore, where importers consider or have reason to believe that a detergent or surfactant which they have placed on the market poses a risk to human health or the environment, they shall immediately inform the manufacturer and the competent national authorities of the Member States in which they made it available on the market to that effect, giving details, in particular, of any non-compliance and of any corrective action taken. 9. Importers shall ensure that other economic operators in the supply chain concerned are kept informed without delay regarding any non-compliance or risk to human health or the environment that they have identified and of any consequent corrective action, recall or withdrawal. 10. Importers shall keep the reference to the unique product identifier and the technical documentation referred to in Article 8(2) at the disposal of the market surveillance authorities for a period of 10 years from the date on which the detergent or surfactant has been placed on the market. 11. Importers shall, further to a reasoned request from a competent national authority, provide it with all the information and documentation, in electronic format and, on request, in paper format, necessary to demonstrate the compliance with this Regulation of a detergent or surfactant, in a language which can be easily understood by that authority. Importers shall cooperate with that authority, at its request, on any action taken to eliminate the risks posed by a detergent or surfactant which they have placed on the market. 12. Importers shall verify whether the communication channels referred to in Article 8(11) are publicly available to consumers and other end-users. Where they are not available, importers shall provide for such channels, taking into account the accessibility needs of persons with disabilities.