2011 RAPEX figures released: Numbers down, risks unchanged?

09 May 2012
by BEUC -- last modified 09 May 2012

A disturbing 1,803 dangerous products alerts have been revealed with today’s release of the 2011 RAPEX system statistics. This is down by approximately 450 compared to an all-time high in 2010. RAPEX is Europe’s rapid alert system for products risking the safety and health of consumers (excepting food, pharmaceutical and medical devices).

Monique Goyens, Director General of BEUC, commented:

"Year after year, these figures show that far too many risky products have been on sale to consumers. It's the job of market surveillance authorities to detect such products, quickly remove them from the market and flag them to the EU. With numbers down in 2011, we hope this is not the result of fewer controls by cash-strapped governments, one of the possible explanations given by the Commission."

"More resources for market monitoring are key to avoid perilous products slipping through the net. The upcoming review of Europe's cornerstone product safety law1 should see a second line of defence established with an EU coordination body for market surveillance and the setting up of a consumer complaints database to which every EU consumer can directly notify dangerous products."

BEUC, The European Consumer Organisation has a membership of 42 well respected, independent national consumer organisations from 31 European countries (EU, EEA and applicant countries). BEUC acts as the umbrella group in Brussels for these organisations and our main task is to represent our members and defend the interests of all Europe's consumers.

BEUC, the European Consumers' Organisation