In the third quarter of 2025, a total of 1,007 dangerous products were reported to EU Safety Gate. The information portal, originally known as the RAPEX system, enables market surveillance authorities in EU Member States to exchange warnings about dangerous products. If such a product is discovered and reported in one country, it is generally no longer allowed to be sold there. In many cases, other Member States then respond by imposing similar sales bans or ordering product recalls.
With 293 reports, almost 30% of dangerous products come from the cosmetics sector, followed by toys (18.3%) and electronic products, including lighting and fairy lights (16.6%). With 43 products, a comparatively large number of fairy lights were criticised, the majority of which (72%) had to be recalled by end consumers. Protective equipment was also disproportionately represented in Q3.
In total, European market surveillance authorities issued product recalls for more than 350 products (35%), with 28% of dangerous products being sold online. 106 products (11%) violated the REACh Regulation and 43 (4.3%) violated the RoHS Directive.
With 461 dangerous products, over 47% came from the People’s Republic of China (35.3%). The country of origin could not be identified for a further 147 products. More than half of all reports came from Italy, Germany, France and Hungary. It is interesting to note that once again, almost 100 reports came from Northern Ireland.
According to a study by Allianz, recalls of toys or electrical appliances can cost companies between €650,000 and €1,000,000. These enormous sums are incurred not only by the recalls themselves, but also by product revisions, packaging adjustments and contractual penalties imposed on trading partners. Even with medium delivery quantities, import bans, sales stops or delays at customs quickly lead to six-figure losses in sales. Added to this is long-term damage to image, which can significantly weaken the market position and business development of manufacturers, retailers or importers.
A functioning compliance management system builds trust among customers and partners – and at the same time gives companies a decisive competitive advantage. Investing in clear processes and effective control mechanisms at an early stage can significantly reduce the risk of fines, loss of revenue and damage to reputation.
Since 13 December 2024, companies have been required to comply with the EU Product Safety Regulation: companies must now also provide comprehensive risk analysis and technical documentation for products that are not subject to other product-specific regulations (e.g. toys, electrical products, personal protective equipment). The EU Product Safety Regulation requires proof that every product is safe and compliant. Carefully maintained documentation thus becomes a central element of any compliance strategy.
In the third quarter, the Hungarian market surveillance authorities in particular found numerous dangerous fairy lights and issued a product recall for approximately three out of four products (72%). Thirty-nine of the products came from China (91%), while the country of origin of the remaining four was unknown.
One set of fairy lights had inadequate product insulation. It allowed a single-pole plug to be inserted and had an insufficient cable length between the plug and the first socket. This meant that live parts were accessible and users could receive an electric shock.
Fig. 1: Dangerous string of lights
Source: European Commission, https://ec.europa.eu/safety-gate-alerts/screen/webReport/alertDetail/10095328?lang=de, date: 20 October 2025, language: German
Another product also allowed access to live parts due to its insufficient mechanical strength. In addition, the product did not meet the specified requirements for protection against moisture. This could also result in the user receiving an electric shock.
Both products did not comply with the requirements of the Low Voltage Directive and the European standard EN 60598. They must be recalled from end users.
Fig. 2: Christmas lights with electrical risk
Source: European Commission, https://ec.europa.eu/safety-gate-alerts/screen/webReport/alertDetail/10095333, date: 10 October 2025, language: German
In addition to fairy lights, numerous other lighting products were also criticised by European market surveillance authorities. Over 90% of these also came from China and posed a risk of electric shock or environmental damage.
In one ceiling light, the cable was not properly anchored. The wires were only protected by basic insulation and were in contact with sharp edges. In the event of insulation damage, the user could touch accessible live parts and receive an electric shock.
This product also violated the requirements of the Low Voltage Directive and European standard EN 60598 and had already been rejected at the Polish border.
Fig. 3: Ceiling light with risk of electric shock
Source: European Commission, https://ec.europa.eu/safety-gate-alerts/screen/webReport/alertDetail/10095829?lang=de, date: 20 October 2025, language: German
A small illuminated key ring had solder joints with excessive concentrations of lead and cadmium (measured values of up to 80.3% and 0.08% by weight, respectively). Lead and cadmium pose a risk to the environment. The product did not comply with the requirements of the Directive on the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS 2 Directive) and must be withdrawn from the market.
Fig. 4: Key ring containing lead and cadmium
Source: European Commission, https://ec.europa.eu/safety-gate-alerts/screen/webReport/alertDetail/10095882?lang=de, date: 20 October 2025, language: German
A striking number of personal protective equipment items were reported in Q3 by seven different market surveillance authorities. One in three products in this category must be recalled.
Climbing equipment from China was supplied without labelling information or instructions for use. This means that users may set it up incorrectly, causing the product to come loose or break during use and injure the user. The product did not comply with the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Regulation and was rejected at the border by the Irish authorities.
Fig. 5: Climbing equipment without operating instructions
Source: European Commission, https://ec.europa.eu/safety-gate-alerts/screen/webReport/alertDetail/10095987?lang=de, date: 20 October 2025, language: German
In the area of protective equipment, the German market surveillance authorities criticised three safety vests for not having the required reflectivity values for their retro-reflective material. This means that the user is not sufficiently visible in situations where high visibility is essential. The products, which were also sold via Shein and AliExpress, must be recalled from end consumers. They violated both the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Regulation and the European standard EN 20471.
Fig. 6: Safety vest with insufficient reflectivity
Source: European Commission, https://ec.europa.eu/safety-gate-alerts/screen/webReport/alertDetail/10095420, date: 20 October 2025, language: German
Do you sell electrical products, fairy lights or personal protective equipment?
How sure are you that all the risks associated with your products have been fully taken into account?
How do you ensure that you are aware of and comply with the latest standards?
Have you carried out a risk analysis for all your products that you could make available to the authorities on request?
Are all your suppliers aware of the requirements of the REACH or POP regulations 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 prepared are you for a product recall, and do you have a product recall management system in place?
If you see a need for action here, we are happy to assist you in identifying potential risks and avoiding additional costs due to dangerous products.
We support you in setting up a suitable risk management system and guide you through the conformity assessment process, including the preparation of technical documentation, risk analysis and EU declaration of conformity.
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