Buying goods in the EU should be safe and all products should comply with quality standards to guarantee safety and trust on consumers. The arrival of online-bought goods coming from anywhere in the world, has put these safeguards in doubt and the European Parliament is ready to react.

On Monday 3 September, the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO) voted in favour of a report which aims to address the growing number of non-compliant products on the Union market, while offering incentives to boost compliance with the regulation and ensure fair and equal treatment that will benefit businesses and citizens. The legislation provides for appropriate incentives for businesses, increased compliance checks and enhanced cross-border law enforcement cooperation. The aim of this regulation is to strengthen the market surveillance also of online sales by requiring Member States among other measures, to have an appropriate number of online inspectors.

ALDE Group Jasenko Selimović MEP, shadow rapporteur on this file, said: “In the EU, we still have unsafe and uncompliant products that cause injuries, sometimes even deaths. This is highly regrettable and unacceptable. I am confident that this legislation will greatly enhance consumer safety and help to strengthen our single market and reduce injuries caused by the use of unsafe products, including the death of children caused by dangerous toys.”

Controlling the exchange of information between market surveillance authorities and customs authorities will boost market surveillance cooperation at EU level. The Compliance with and enforcement of Union harmonisation legislation on products is part of the ‘Goods Package’ and will be voted in the European Parliament Plenary in October.

🐻 Are your kids safe playing with toys coming from out of the EU?
🗳️ Our MEPs vote today in favour for a legislation that will strengthen the market surveillance with stricter checks on online-bought goods coming from anywhere in the world.
🔍Read more: https://t.co/b7wWZxnCxJ pic.twitter.com/L9lgQCstT1

— Renew Europe (@RenewEurope) September 4, 2018