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    Consultancy - Services:

    EU Legislation - the new General Product Safety Directive

    The revised General Product Safety Directive is currently under consultation, and is expected to come into force in January 2005 as a Statutory Instrument in the UK. The history of the Directive can be traced back to 1992.

    General Product Safety Directive (1992/59/EEC)

    The directive first came into force in 1992, and was intended as a "catch-all", that would cover products that are not already included in other Directives. It gives consumers added confidence that all products placed on the market should be safe. However, the directive did not cover food, and also second hand, reconditioned or imported goods. The Directive did not last long, but was a step forward.

    The new Directive (2001/95/EEC)

    A revised version of the original Directive was approved in 2001. This was called the new Directive (2001/95/EEC). There were a number of reasons for this new version:

    • Many social and economic changes took place very quickly in the 1990s. These needed to be taken into account.
    • Many new, complicated products came on the market.
    • New ways of buying things developed, like Internet and distance selling.
    • There were some parts of the Directive that were hard to understand and therefore to enforce.

    The following are some of the new benefits to consumers of the new Directive:

    • Clearer and more understandable information and warnings on dangerous products are given. This means that you can work out the particular risks you run.
    • Special attention concentrates on people who are most at risk such as children and old people.
    • A clearer definition is given of what a product actually is. The Directive now covers products like laser pens, chain saws, paints and pesticides which were originally intended for the professional market but are now widely used in the home.
    • The responsibilities of producers and retailers for withdrawing dangerous products from shops are greater. These are described more clearly. They must also recall dangerous products that have already been bought and used.
    • Products bought in the EU by mail order or through the Internet are included.
    • Better enforcement of the law will be possible because manufacturers and suppliers will now have to tell their national authorities (like trading standards departments in the UK)) what they are doing to prevent unacceptable risks to consumers.
    • A more effective rapid information exchange (RAPEX) in emergency situations in the EU will take place. National authorities will work together to warn of dangerous products that can move from one country to another.
    • There will be a strengthening of European standards to make sure that products conform to safety requirements and to provide better guidelines for manufacturers.

    Created By Brett Walton

    For more information about how Wemtech can help, please contact Mike Foster on 01527 595066.

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