New data on unsafe products should lead to regulatory enforcement and update, consumer organisations warn

Statistics published today in the EU’s alert system for dangerous non-food products report (Safety Gate) highlight the importance of market surveillance and the pressing need to fill regulatory loopholes. Member States’ authorities made a record-high 4,137 notifications to the Safety Gate in 2024, representing nearly a 50% increase compared to 2022.

Data show that consumers are most exposed to dangerous chemicals and injuries, and that most alerts concern products coming from outside the EU. BEUC’s members have repeatedly highlighted that harmful products enter the EU market through online platforms and called for greater enforcement and consumer protection.  

Agustín Reyna, Director General of BEUC, commented:

“Market surveillance authorities not only need more financial, technical and human resources but also stronger legal enforcement powers against online marketplaces to ensure consumers are protected from unsafe products. As a next step, the EU should ensure that online marketplaces ultimately become liable if there is no reliable economic operator responsible in the EU.

“In a context where e-commerce is growing fast and consumers increasingly shop through online marketplaces, the EU must continue to be agile in adapting its legal framework. The Consumer Protection Cooperation Regulation should be modernised by giving the EU centralised enforcement powers for certain cases, and the EU should swiftly present an ambitious Digital Fairness Act protecting consumers against misleading practices online.”

Stephen Russell, Director General of The European Consumer Voice in Standardisation (ANEC), said:

“This year’s report confirms the importance of effective market surveillance and enforcement in ensuring dangerous products are removed from the market. ANEC believes that in a Single Market characterised by the free movement of goods, having pan-European approach for surveillance and enforcement activities makes full sense. It completes the tripod of protection for the consumer: regulation, standards and enforcement.”

Background:

Notifications about products which pose a serious risk to consumers’ health and safety only represent the tip of the iceberg since authorities are unable to control each and every product entering the EU market, and it is impossible to know the specific number of product units linked to a notification. In 2024, cosmetics and toys were the two most reported product categories representing over half of notifications, confirming trends from past years.

While consumers do not always know how to report safety issues caused by products, they have now the possibility to directly alert EU authorities through the Consumer Safety Gateway. Similarly, the new General Product Safety Regulation strengthens the possibility for consumer groups and the authorities to collaborate on product safety issues which is useful as consumer groups regularly conduct their own checks and observe noncompliance.