Product Safety and Consumer Protection

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Product Safety and Consumer Protection
Erik Hansson DG Health and Consumer Protection
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CONSUMER POLICY IN THE EU - based on article 153
of the Treaty
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DG Health and Consumer Protection

• Food safety, public health and consumer protection

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Consumer Policy Strategy 2002-2006

• a high common level of consumer protection
• Effective enforcement of consumer protection
  rules
• Proper involvement of consumer organisations in
  EU policies

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Set of rights on European level which consumers
enjoy in all the Member States
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• Fair Business Practices
• Misleading and Comparative Advertising
• Price Indications
• Unfair Contract Terms

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• Sale of Goods and Guarantees
• Distance Selling
• Doorstep Selling
• Timeshare
• Package Travel

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Alternative Dispute Resolution out of court
settlement of disputes Injunctions
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Revised General Product Safety Directive (GPSD)
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The General Product Safety Directive (GPSD)

• Applies to consumer products
• Adopted in 1992
• Revised directive adopted in 2001

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Obligations for

• Producers, importers and distributors to place
  only safe products on the market and to take
  measures to follow up dangers
• Member States to carry out surveillance and
  enforcement

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For products causing serious risk

• Rapid Alert System (RAPEX)
• Emergency measures on EU-level

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Technical requirements

• Product falling under sectoral legislationin
  sectoral legislation
• Product not falling under sectoral legislation
• Presumed safe when conforms to standards
  published in the Official Journal
• Otherwise assessment against European standards
  etc

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Product Liability
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Fire Safety in Hotels
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Safety of Services