If products available on the market are defective or harmful, consumers can make claims to relevant authorities to point out their faults thanks to the Product Liability Directive. 

Why it's important

Defective products can cause physical and financial harm to consumers. Product liability law exists to protect consumers by mitigating the risks of defective products and to compensate injured persons from any damage they suffer. 

For consumers, that means:

• Being able to claim compensation proving that the product is defective and caused damage regardless of the product’s nature (food post-1999, medicines, electronics, etc.).
• Being able to seek redress more easily by holding manufacturers directly accountable.

What BEUC did

The liability of manufacturers for the products they make was won over a 10-year battle. The EU law in 1985 helped settle this important protection and gave consumers 3 years in which to act on harm or loss due to a defective product, even if no fault could be proven on behalf of the producer.

The scope of the legislation did not cover agricultural products, because they were “God’s creation” and no-one can sue God…but BEUC secured an extension to primary agricultural products after the mad cow disease crisis in 1999, so it now covers such products as meat, cereals, fruit and vegetables.