EU scheme raises alarm over faulty products

The European Union’s “rapid alert system” told authorities of 116 faulty or dangerous products on sale in the UK last year, new figures have revealed.

In the UK, 49 per cent of the products were withdrawnbecausetheydidnot meet EU regulations related to motor vehicles, while 13 per cent related to dangerous toys and a further 13 per cent were electrical goods. More than four in ten of the withdrawn products were deemed to have the potential to cause injury, while 18 per cent were at risk of causing electric shock and 17 per cent were believed to be a fire risk.

The 2,201 alerts sent through the Rapid Alert System prompted nearly 4,000 follow-up actions, such as the withdrawal of products from the market.

Věra Jourová, EU commissioner for justice, consumers and gender equality said: “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.”

She added: “Thanks to this system, we are keeping our children safe and preventing fatal accidents on our roads.”

Overall, Eu-wide, toys made up nearly a third of the alerts, with motor vehicles just one in five of the products.