Brussels, 29 November 2022
The European Commission welcomes the provisional political agreement reached yesterday between the European Parliament and the Council on the core elements of the Regulation on general product safety, following the Commission’s proposal in June 2021. This agreement will provide new rules to ensure that only safe products are sold to consumers in the EU, no matter whether they are sold in shops or on online marketplaces, and no matter whether they are produced in the EU or elsewhere. The Regulation will also address risks related to new technology products, such as cybersecurity risks, and introduce product safety rules for online marketplaces. The new rules are aligned and consistent with the Digital Services Act (DSA).
Vice-President for Values and Transparency, Věra Jourová, said:
“Consumers have a right to know that they are using safe products. Too many dangerous products remain on the Union market, with an annual detriment caused by dangerous products estimated at EUR 11.5 billion. I welcome the provisional agreement on the Commission’s proposal for a General Product Safety Regulation – we are reaching the finish line on this important file, a key element to help us better protect European consumers.”
Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, added:
“Yesterday’s agreement takes us a step closer to a stronger and safer single market for consumers in the European Union, which will be beneficial for us all. The General Product Safety Regulation will ensure a level playing field for all companies selling to EU consumers, provide for clear rules for all businesses and enable better enforcement by authorities. For instance, third-country companies that export products to the EU will need to designate a responsible contact person in the EU. In this way, it will also make those companies accountable for the safety of the products that are bringing into the internal market.”
The European Parliament and the Council will now need to formally adopt yesterday’s political agreement.
Source – EU Commission