Brussels, 19/04/2007 (Agence Europe) - Crash helmets with limited shock absorption capacity, fancy lighters that look too much like toys, plastic ducks containing dangerous chemicals like phthalates, yoyos that present strangulation risks to all young children, electric gadgets that do not comply with safety standards, defective ski fixtures etc. These are just some of the dangerous products threatening consumers' safety found on the market. They are also increasingly being withdrawn from the market or subject to marketing bans in the EU, thanks to RAPEX, the Rapid Alert System for non-food consumer products. Set up on the basis of Directive 2001/95/EC on product safety, this initiative allows the competent authorities to inform the Commission if consumer products are seen to be dangerous - information that the Commission immediately sends on to the monitoring authorities in thirty European countries where they can be banned or subject to marketing restrictions if the use of the products represent serious risks to consumer health and safety.
The annual report on consumer dangers, published on 19 April by the Commission for the third consecutive year, revealed that last year, notifications by EU member states rose by more than 32% compared to the previous year (924 dangerous products were last year, compared to 701 in 2005) almost a doubling in 2004's figures. Improved cooperation between the customs authorities of member states is the cause of the ever increasing number of these products on the market. Toys (24%) and electrical appliances (19%) top the list of most frequently notified products, followed by motor vehicles (14%), lighting equipment (11%) and cosmetics (5%).
On the chapter on major concerns, the annual report reveals that China was indicated as the country of origin responsible for almost half of all cases (440 notifications, 48%). Over 40% of all notifications concern voluntary measures taken by businesses, explains the Commission. This is a clear indicator of growing safety awareness on the part of European economic operators. Participation of EU member states in the system is not equal. Five countries accounted for 60% of all notifications: Germany (16%), Hungary (15%), Greece (11%), United Kingdom (10%), Spain (9%). The Commission is also calling on all EU member states to participate more actively in the system, to carry out joint action and cooperate with third countries in a way that could help increase RAPEX efficiency.
In the presence of samples of dangerous products presented to the European Commissioner for consumer policy Meglena Kuneva (presented at the same time as the press), the Commissioner welcomed the details from the report as good news, overall.
The Commissioner declared that, “more notifications do not necessary mean more risk. The constant increase in the number of measures notified is a good sign, it shows that vigilance across Europe is getting better and better. Today's annual report shows that the system in 2006 is working better than ever before. Rapex is not only about goods, it's about solidarity, civil rights, European values”. The Commissioner paid homage to the active role of civil society, as well as the effective impel of competent authorities in around thirty countries participating in the system. Kuneva was delighted that RAPEX's role was increasing and underlined the fact that this instrument symbolised a Europe of results and was more directed towards a policy orientated on producer and distributor responsibility, which called for preventive action without waiting for injunctions rather than on case by case action.
The Commissioner expressed the wish that RAPEX could develop its complete potential in the future and that the general effectiveness of the system was the result of “improved coordination between member states”. She said that disparities in the unequal performances of EU member states should not be hidden. She said that some were champions and others were not. the high number of dangerous Chinese products identified on the European markets called for increased cooperation with the Chinese authorities, declared the Commissioner. Kuneva also intends to go to China in the autumn to intensify dialogue of the basis of the draft protocol agreement and road map signed by the Commission and China in September 2006 for improving Chinese product safety, particularly for toys, on the EU market. (an)