The 2017 report on the Rapid Alert System for dangerous products has been released by the European Commission.

It shows that the Rapid Alert System was increasingly used by national authorities with more than 2,000 alerts on dangerous products circulated through the system.

In a statement the Commission said that, topping the list of dangerous products detected and removed from the market were toys – for example several models of the popular fidget spinners, cars and motorcycles.

“European consumer rules guarantee that only safe products are sold in the EU. If this is not the case, the Rapid Alert System supports authorities to react quickly and remove any products that might cause injuries. Thanks to this system, we are keeping our children safe and preventing fatal accidents on our roads,” said Vera Jourová, Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality.

She added that, “this is a good example of how to efficiently enforce EU consumer rules. Unfortunately, in many other areas we need to improve enforcement and make sure consumers can benefit from their rights. This is what our upcoming ‘New Deal for Consumers’ is all about.”

The report showed that consumers increasingly purchase products online directly from third countries. “The challenge is now to ensure that these products meet EU standards for safety,” it said.

It also noted that many of the dangerous products notified in the Rapid Alert System are also sold on online platforms or marketplaces.

To address this phenomenon, the European Commission said that it is encouraging cooperation with its international counterparts and online platforms to make sure that unsafe products do not reach EU consumers.

The Commission issued a Recommendation at the beginning of March with a set of operational measures to be taken by online platforms and Member States to further step the work on illegal online content, including when it comes to dangerous products.

The report shows that in 2017, ‘toys’ was the most notified product category (29%), followed by ‘motor vehicles’ (20%), and ‘clothing, textiles and fashion items’ (12%). The risk most often notified was injury (28%), followed by chemical risk (22%).

The report also noted that the majority of dangerous products notified in the system came from outside the EU. China is the number one country of origin, but the number of alerts remains stable at 53% (1,155) in 2017, the same as the year before.

The Commission European Commission said that it continues to cooperate closely with Chinese authorities, working together to discuss specific cases and implement actions, such as exchange of good practices. Dangerous products of European origin accounted for 413 notifications (26%).

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