Belgium, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) The European Commission has released its annual report on dangerous non-food products tracked by the EU alert system Safety Gate.
In a statement released on Monday, the EC pointed out that the report includes alerts from 2022 and responses from national authorities.
The most frequent type of alert was for chemical substances found in a wide variety of products, with cars and toys topping the list of the most notified products.
The EC pointed out that 30 countries participate in the Safety Gate – EU members, Iceland, Lichtenstein, and Norway – and have reacted to more than 2,000 alerts last year.
National authorities took nearly 4,000 follow-up actions, with the Commission noting that EU market surveillance authorities regularly followed up on alerts and exchanged relevant information.
As an example, the EC pointed out that Austrian authorities found and warned about a toy with easily detachable parts, after which Slovenian authorities found the toy on their market and recalled the product.
Overview of statistics
The most reported hazards were dangerous chemicals, choking, and injuries, while most reported products include toys, cars, cosmetics, clothing, and electrical appliances.
The Commission stressed that the number of alerts on recently banned chemicals in cosmetics was significantly higher in 2022 compared to previous years. Such chemicals were also found in other types of products, including toys.
Didier Reynders, European Commissioner for Justice, stressed that “Safety Gate has proven to be an extremely reliable tool for market surveillance authorities to keep consumers safe and dangerous products off the market, regardless of whether they are on a shelf or an online cart.”
He stressed the importance of addressing new challenges by implementing new solutions and concluded that the EC will “continue the work to adapt our tools to the digital age as well as to increase cooperation among national authorities.”
The EC reminded that it proposed new rules for market surveillance in 2021, stressing that the proposal “will modernize the general framework for the safety of non-food consumer products, maintaining its role as a safety net for consumers, and ensuring that the safety challenges posed by new technologies and by the growth of online sales are met.”