2009-04-22

By Editor, CIR

EU countries reported a record number of product recalls in 2008, according to a European Commission report.

RAPEX, the EU executive's rapid alert system for non-food products recorded a 16% rise, from 1,605 notifications in 2007 to 1,866, in the number of goods posing a serious health and safety risk to consumers across the 27-nation bloc.

Products from China accounted for 59% of the recalls last year, against 52% in 2007 and 49% in 2006.

Toys accounted for more than one in three recalls, with colting and fashion items, motor vehicles and electrical goods each representing up to 10%.

One in five of the products deemed to pose a risk came from within the EU and Germany, with 82 products, accounted for the highest European recall rate.

"This report sends a very clear message that there is no room for complacency when it comes to safety," said Meglena Kuneva, European Consumer Commissioner.

"The biggest challenge for 2009 is to make sure that product safety is not set aside during this period of economic crisis, that business continues to respect its duty towards consumers and that member states allocate sufficient resources to enforcement."

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