EU warned not to “water down” existing product safety checks

In a speech to the European Parliament today in Brussels, EU Consumer Commissioner Meglena Kuneva set out the Commission's plans for a two month review of toy safety and consumer product safety control mechanisms.

She said that she believed that "the key to the success of any legal instrument lies in its effective enforcement," and she issued a strong warning to member states and to companies to "raise their game on enforcement at national and local level".

Commissioner Kuneva stressed that there would be no compromise on consumer safety. "The rules must be applied from the assembly line to the checkout till."

“We cannot risk at this time to take a step backwards

EU Consumer Commissioner Meglena Kuneva

She made it very clear that, "should the risks require it, I will not hesitate to go further and use the full range of tools available under EU product safety law from checks to controls."

During her speech, the Commissioner appealed to MEPs who will take a critically important vote on market surveillance in the coming months (Review of the New Approach Package) not to back proposals which would water down the existing regime of consumer product safety surveillance. "We cannot risk at this time to take a step backwards," she said.

Commissioner Kuneva will report back to the College of Commissioners with preliminary conclusions of her review by November.