New Era in EU Product Safety Consumer Rights

In 2021, the European Commission worked on revising EU product safety rules in order to enhance consumer rights in a world reshaped by digitalisation and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Commission is reinforcing its safety net for EU consumers, for example, by making sure that dangerous products are recalled from the market.  

The new General Product Safety Regulation will address risks related to new technology products, such as cybersecurity risks, and to online shopping by, introducing product safety rules for online marketplaces. It will ensure that all products reaching EU consumers, through online marketplaces or from the neighbourhood shop, are safe, whether coming from within the EU or from outside. The new Regulation will make certain that marketplaces fulfil their duties so that consumers do not end up with dangerous products in their hands. This is is what  it will mean for consumers:  

Read the factsheet here:

Product Safety

On 28 September, the European Commission honoured a number of European companies with the 2021 EU Product Safety Award. Eleven companies from eight different countries were celebrated for their innovations and investments to protect consumers with respect to protecting vulnerable consumer groups and ensuring the safety of new technologies.  

 

The details of the safety awards winners can be found here. 

 


Read more about products conformity and safety rules here.

Consumer Assistance: The European Consumer Centre Ireland provides free advice and support with cross-border purchase issues and can help consumers deal with disputes relating to faulty goods. If you have tried to resolve a dispute with a business to no avail, click here to submit an inquiry.