Briefing - Revision of the General Product Safety Directive - PE 694.202 - Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

Two decades after the entry into force of the General Product Safety Directive, the internal market is witnessing an increasing presence of products made with the use of or involving new technologies, online marketplaces are mushrooming, and a growing amount of products are entering the internal market from outside the European Union through these online marketplaces. Since the General Product Safety Directive does not have any provisions to guarantee that these products are safe for use, there are concerns that consumer protection on the internal market might be compromised. In order to keep guaranteeing the safety of all products, the European Commission's forthcoming proposal will aim to deal with these new challenges for product safety and to find a balance between ensuring unhindered trade and guaranteeing the safety of all products on the internal market.