Banning unsafe products from the EU market

“Buying a game console or a connected watch should be a source of fun, not anxiety. By updating the product safety rules we will assure the protection of consumers from dangerous items or fraud while shopping online or offline”, said Marion Walsmann MEP, the EPP Group negotiator for Product Safety, after the vote on the new rules in the European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee this morning.

The new law is meant to fight unsafe products, from shoes to mobile phones or baby monitors.

“Even if the EU Single Market is one of the safest markets in the world, the rise in online shopping and new technologies means that many unsafe products still get onto the market. It was high time to extend the safety requirements to all products, even the ones including new technologies, like Artificial Intelligence or the Internet of Things, so that an important loophole has been closed.”

Another existing loophole is the fact that consumers can often not find the producer of an unsafe product or have trouble getting in touch with them if it has been imported from a third country. “Thanks to the new rules, we will guarantee that there will always be a responsible person for a product in the EU, regardless of where it has been manufactured or if it was sold online or offline.”

Another improvement for consumers is that they will be better informed about recalls and that online marketplaces have to provide a single point of contact for allowing direct communication with the consumers and the relevant authorities.

“According to estimation, one third of consumers in the EU continue to use recalled products despite a recall, exposing themselves to high risks. Now, the recall procedure will be quicker and more efficient. Additionally, the traceability of the dangerous products along the supply chain will be strengthened and that is going to help identify the place of the dangerous product”, said Walsmann.

“With the new Product Safety rules, consumers will be better protected from unsafe goods and the economic operators selling the goods on the EU market will have more clarity on their obligations to guarantee the safety of products placed on the EU market”, concluded Walsmann.