Brussels, 15/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - All EU member states are now under a binding obligation to ensure that cigarette lighters placed on the EU market have a security device to make them child-resistant. The European decision to ban all non child-resistant lighters - whether manufactured in the EU or imported from third countries - took effect on 11 March.
In a press release, Meglena Kuneva, European Consumer Policy Commissioner, welcomes the entry into force of these “important requirements, which will foster consumers' and in particular children's safety in Europe”. She adds: “The industry has had 10 months to adapt their production and for a very small cost, estimated at a few eurocents per light, producers can enhance consumer confidence and contribute to the reduction of significant numbers of fires, incidents and deaths”.
To date, the European standard for lighter security, that has been in force since 2002, had never been respected by European producers and importers although there was compliance when it was a question of similar demands for exports to third countries. Hence the Commission's decision to legislate. The proposal for the decision, presented in February 2006 (EUROPE 9190) waited for the member states' go-ahead for a long while. The member states, meeting within the standing committee on general product safety (established under Directive 2001/95/EC), gave the green light on 13 February, setting the binding deadline of 11 March for producers and importers' compliance with the provision of safe lighters to consumers.
Similar legislation, applied since 1995 in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, have shown proof of their effectiveness. The number of deaths, injuries and the amount of material damage done through accidents caused by children have considerably fallen (-60% in the United States).
Each year in the EU, accidents caused by children playing with dangerous lighters take a heavy toll: between 1,500 and 1,900 injuries and around 34 deaths. (an)