Consumer product safety in the EU

Learning outcomes

Businesses exporting to the EU market are challenged by the fact that EU consumer product safety requirements are not contained in a single law but governed by several closely interrelated components.

This complexity arises from the fact that the system is not only about protecting European consumers from dangerous products, but also about facilitating the free
movement of goods within the EU single market. In addition, many institutional responsibilities are not centralised but rest with the authorities of the EU Member States.

The objective of this module is to provide an overview of consumer protection in the EU, the consumer perspective, the key institutions involved in supporting consumers, monitoring safety of products and the way new standards are developed.

At the end of this module, you will be able to understand the:

protection available for consumers in the EU particularly in relation to product safety
rights consumers have in relation to the goods they purchase
role of the European Commission in ensuring consumers in the EU are protected from unsafe products
role of market surveillance authorities and the way in which a consistent approach is achieved through all member states
the importance of harmonised standards and how these can be used by manufacturers to ensure product safety