In the first quarter of November, 1,295 dangerous products were reported in the EU’s Safety Gate. This information portal, formerly known as the RAPEX system, is used by market surveillance authorities in the Member States to exchange information on dangerous products.
As soon as a country recognises and reports dangerous products, the authorities of other countries often react with similar measures, such as sales bans or product recalls for the affected articles.
With 450 notifications, around 35% of dangerous products came from the cosmetics sector, followed by electronic products (16.8%), toys (13.6%) and chemical products (5.1%). The European market surveillance authorities issued a product recall for 374 products, i.e. almost every third product, and for baby products the figure was as high as 49%.
545 dangerous products came from the People’s Republic of China (42.1%), 282 products were sold online (21.8%). More than one in 10 products violated the REACh Regulation (142 products = 11%), 126 violated the RoHS Directive (9.7%)
Due to the high proportion of hazardous cosmetics, most reports once again came from Italy (366 reports), followed by Sweden (174 reports) and Germany (131 reports).
According to an Allianz study, the recall costs for electrical appliances or toys can be between 650,000 and 1,000,000 euros. These enormous financial burdens are often further increased by additional expenses for product modifications, adjustments to packaging or contractual penalties to customers.
Even for medium-sized deliveries, sales or import bans and import delays can quickly lead to sales losses of several hundred thousand euros. In addition, there is a risk of long-term damage to the reputation of manufacturers, importers or retailers, which can have a lasting negative impact on business development and market position.
Professional compliance management promotes the trust of customers and partners and thus strengthens a company’s market position. It is advisable to invest in compliance strategies at an early stage in order to protect yourself from legal risks, financial losses and reputational damage in the long term.
A comprehensive risk analysis of the products and detailed documentation are crucial. They not only serve as proof of compliance with legal requirements, but will also be mandatory for almost all products from 13 December 2024 in accordance with the new Product Safety Regulation.
In the toy sector, a total of 176 products were criticised by the European market surveillance authorities, with almost one in three toys having to be recalled by manufacturers, importers or distributors from end consumers. 146 products originated from the People’s Republic of China (83%), almost one in four products were sold online.
The main risks were chemical risks (37.5%), suffocation (33.5%) and environmental risks (13.1%). It should be emphasised that the vast majority of products posed several risks at the same time, e.g. chemicals, suffocation and visual damage. The market surveillance authorities in France, Sweden and Poland were particularly active in the area of toys.
The battery compartment of a Happy Halloween brand toy torch was easy to open or broke easily. This made the button batteries accessible. A child could put them in their mouth, which could cause gastrointestinal injuries or lead to suffocation.
In addition, the blue LED light was too strong and not properly labelled. Direct vision can lead to visual damage. The product did not meet the requirements of the Toy Safety Directive and the General Product Safety Regulation, nor the European standard EN 62115. The product must be recalled from end users in France.
Fig. 1: Halloween toy torch
Source: European Commission, https://ec.europa.eu/safety-gate-alerts/screen/webReport/alertDetail/10093376, Date: 24.4.2025, Language: German
In the case of a toy whistle, the French market surveillance authorities criticised the fact that the sound pressure level of the whistle was too high (measured value up to: 101.9 dB). This can lead to temporary/permanent hearing loss when the product is used.
The product does not meet the requirements of the Toy Safety Directive or the European standard EN 71-1 and must also be recalled by end users
Fig. 2: Match whistle
Source: European Commission, https://ec.europa.eu/safety-gate-alerts/screen/webReport/alertDetail/10092239, date: 24 April 2025, language: German
In the toy sector alone, 23 products violated the RoHS Directive, all of which came from China. All products had excessive concentrations of lead and/or cadmium and 21 of them were rejected at the border by the Swedish market surveillance authorities.
In one electric aeroplane toy, the metal components of the product showed an excessive concentration of lead and cadmium (measured values of up to 84.6% by weight and 1.04% by weight respectively). Lead poses a risk to the environment. Cadmium bioaccumulates and poses a risk to the environment. The Polish authorities issued a warning to consumers about the risks and withdrew the product from the market.
Fig. 3: Electronic flying toys with excessive lead and cadmium content
Source: European Commission, https://ec.europa.eu/safety-gate-alerts/screen/webReport/alertDetail/10093219, date: 24.4.2025, language: German
The 66 chemical products reported included a total of 38 electronic cigarettes, most of which contained an excessive amount of nicotine-containing liquid. In addition, some products did not have a child-resistant seal and all violated the requirements of the Tobacco Products Directive. With the exception of one product, all products came from China.
One product was rejected by the authorities at the border in Malta because it was not fitted with a child-resistant seal and posed a health risk in the hands of children. In addition, the product contained an excessive amount of nicotine-containing liquid (stated value: 3 ml).
This could lead to accidental consumption of a high dose of nicotine. Nicotine is acutely toxic and can jeopardise the safety of the user, especially if the product comes into contact with the skin or is ingested.
Fig. 4: Dangerous electronic cigarette
Source: European Commission, https://ec.europa.eu/safety-gate-alerts/screen/webReport/alertDetail/10093457, date: 24 April 2025, language: German
The second largest product group among the chemical products was tattoo colours. The products originated from the USA, Spain, China and France and were subject to withdrawals and sales bans in five different member states.
One product from Spain called PLATINUM DINAMIC BROWN contained excessive levels of antimony, arsenic, nickel, cobalt and lead (measured levels up to 1.9 mg/kg, 7.4 mg/kg, 60 mg/kg, 11.4 mg/kg and 2.5 mg/kg respectively). Antimony can irritate the skin. Arsenic can cause cancer, damage fertility or the unborn child, damage organs through prolonged or repeated exposure.
Nickel can cause skin irritation, sensitisation or allergic reactions. Cobalt is a skin and respiratory sensitiser and can cause cancer. Lead is harmful to human health, accumulates in the body and may affect breastfed or unborn children.
The product was not in compliance with REACH and was banned from sale not only in Italy, but also in Austria and Finland.
Another product that was banned from sale in Belgium has also been withdrawn from the market in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Finland. This shows how well the member states now inform each other about dangerous products via the Safety Gate and also take measures in their own countries.
Fig. 5: Dangerous tattoo ink with numerous toxic substances
Source: European Commission, https://ec.europa.eu/safety-gate-alerts/screen/webReport/alertDetail/10092563, date: 24.4.2025, language: German
Do you sell toys, electrical goods or chemical products?
How sure are you that all the risks of your products are fully considered?
How do you ensure that you know and comply with current standards?
Have you prepared a risk analysis for all your products, which you could make available to authorities on request?
Are all your suppliers familiar with the requirements of the REACH or POP Regulation and the relevant harmonised European standards?
Do you have complete technical documentation for all your products, as required by the new Product Safety Regulation?
Do you have meaningful tests and documents from your suppliers regarding the chemical and electrical components of your products?
How well are you prepared for a product recall and do you have a product recall management system in place?
If you see a need for action here, we will be happy to assist you in identifying potential risks and avoiding additional costs due to dangerous products.
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