North East Trading Standards Association

The North East Trading Standards Association (NETSA) is a partnership body which brings together the twelve local authority Trading Standards services in the north east of England, in order to enhance services and contribute to meeting local, regional and national priorities.

The objectives of NETSA

• Work in partnership to enhance local service delivery
• Create informed confident consumers and protect the vulnerable
• Support legitimate businesses by ensuring a fair and safe trading environment 
• Co-ordinate local, regional and national priorities to enhance service provision

The Key priorities for Action in 2024-2026

1.    Attract and strive to maintain resources to enhance the provision for Trading Standards Services in the North East region.
2.    Ensure consistency of interpretation and sharing best practice
3.    Working collaboratively to ensure effectiveness, efficiency, and value for money.
4.    Use evidence/intelligence gathered locally, regionally, and nationally to target resources.
5.    To carefully consider the implications of and respond effectively to the devolutionary process within the region. Based on the political process. 
6.    To carefully consider the implications of and respond effectively to the UK having now left the EU.
7.    To carefully consider the implications of and respond effectively to the setting up of the Office for Product Safety and Standards. 
8.    To carefully consider the implications of the Government’s response to the Hackitt Report – the Building Safety Act 2022. Including the announcement on construction products. 
9.    To evaluate and respond fully to the implications of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023 upon all consumer protection legislation.
10.    To deliver upon the outcomes of the regional training scheme for apprentices.
11.    To deliver upon the requirements of Operation CeCe in respect of enforcement around the illegal tobacco market. 
12.    To deliver upon the requirements of Operation Joseph in respect of enforcement around the illegal market in Vaping Products and the Underage sale of Vaping Products. 
13.    To carefully consider the implications of the Government Policy Document: “Stopping the start: our new plan to create a smokefree generation” and the implications of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill and the proposed Environmental Regulations to ban single-use vapes.

To see more detailed information go to the NETSA Strategy 2024-2026 (pdf 553 kb).   

Further detailed information on the projects delivered on behalf of the National Trading Standards Board including the work of the Regional Investigations Team is available at NTSB. 

Contact

Trading Standards service, Directorate of City Operations, Neighbourhoods and Regulatory Services, Civic Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8QH. Email: tradingstandards@newcastle.gov.uk