The European Commission will present on Wednesday 30 June its proposal to revise the General Product Safety Directive (2001/95/EC, known as GPSD)—an initiative foreseen in the new Consumer Agenda for 2021-2025, which aims to build consumer resilience to enable a sustainable recovery of the EU economy.
This directive, which came into force in January 2004, requires companies to market only safe products and, if not, to take all corrective measures. The Commission set up the European Rapid Alert System for dangerous non-food products (RAPEX) in 2003—a system that was renamed ‘Safety Gate’ in March this year when the annual report on its operation was presented (see EUROPE 12669/10).
The aim of the review, supported by the EU Council, is to update the GPSD to create a level playing field for the safety of online and offline products (see EUROPE 12679/12, 12663/21).
The long-awaited update is in line with the expectations of the European Consumers’ Organisation (BEUC), which is calling for the definition of safety to be broadened to take into account possible damage resulting from inadequate (cyber)security or from changes made to a connected product once it is on the market.
“Online marketplaces must be liable for the unsafe products sold on their platforms. Also, in a world full of ‘smart’ goods, the very concept of ‘safety’ cannot remain stuck in the past and should take into account cybersecurity”, stressed Monique Goyens, BEUC’s director general, on Monday 28 June.
The European Parliament took the lead by almost unanimously adopting a resolution in November 2020 (see EUROPE 12610/6). “We need harmonised market surveillance rules by the Member States and new rules that keep pace with digitalisation”, insisted Anna Cavazzini (Greens/EFA, Germany), chair of the Internal Market Committee. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)