EU Commission publishes Safety Gate 2023 annual report
The European Commission's Commissioner for Justice and the Rule of Law, Didier Reynders, presented his 2023 annual report on the European rapid alert system for product safety, Safety Gate, on March 14. Cosmetics that are hazardous to health replaced toys as the number one warning. In 2023, the authorities from the 30 countries participating in Safety Gate received 3,412 alerts, which resulted in 4,287 measures being taken by the market surveillance authorities. Brussels thus recorded the highest number of alerts since the system was introduced. 461 alerts came from Germany. With 51% of all notifications, motor vehicle parts were clearly in the lead in Germany.
Toys alerts on the decline
Alerts on cosmetics increased more than threefold (32%) in 2023. The reason for this lies in the increased scrutiny of national market surveillance authorities, which Brussels acknowledges for their dedicated approach. In particular, the authorities criticized the synthetic but banned fragrance BMHCA contained in cosmetic products. While 23% of all alerts in 2022 concerned toys, this figure fell to 13% last year. Justice Commissioner Reynders is convinced that the adoption of the EU Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), which will apply from December 13, 2024, will further strengthen the rapid alert system. Consumer protection has also been strengthened with the commitment of 11 online marketplaces to greater product safety.