Activites

• 2002/01/15 Final act published in Official Journal
  • Directive 2001/95
  • OJ L 011 15.01.2002, p. 0004-0017
• 2001/12/03 Final act signed
• 2001/12/03 End of procedure in Parliament
• 2001/10/04 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
  • T5-0503/2001 summary

    The joint text by Mrs Laura GONZALEZ ALVAREZ (GUE/NGL, E) on product safety, approved by the conciliation committee, was adopted unanimously. (Please refer to the previous text).�

• #2371
• 2001/09/27 Council Meeting
• 2001/08/14 Joint text approved by Conciliation Committee co-chairs
  • 3644/2001
• 2001/06/25 Formal meeting of Conciliation Committee
• 2001/06/21 Report tabled for plenary, 3rd reading
  • A5-0313/2001
• #2351
• 2001/05/30 Council Meeting
• 2001/05/16 Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading
  • T5-0259/2001 summary

    The European Parliament approved the resolution by Mrs Laura GONZALEZ ALVAREZ (EUL/NGL, E). The main points of the common position were maintained in view of the fact that there were insufficient votes for amendments seeking to change Council's position on the export of dangerous substances. Other amendments were however approved. These ask the Commission to submit proposals concerning the safety of service before 1 January 2003 and demands that the competent authorities be guided by the precautionary principle.�

• 2001/05/15 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2001/04/25 Vote in committee, 2nd reading
  • A5-0133/2001
• 2001/02/14 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 2nd reading
• #2329
• 2001/02/12 Council Meeting
  • 14614/1/2000 summary

    The Council common position takes account of the fundamental points of the amended proposal adopted by the Commission in light of the opinion expressed by the European Parliament at first reading. The Council adopted in full or in part, or in their substance, 21 of the 30 amendments proposed by the European Parliament. The amendments adopted in part or in substance relate in particular to : - the need for the Commission to present regular reports on the application of the Directive; - clarification of the Directive's scope in relation to sectoral directives; - taking installation and maintenance into account in the definition of "safe product"; - clarification of the provisions concerning recall of products, with no reference to compensation of consumers; - consultation of the competent committee by the Commission when establishing the standardisation mandate objectives. A regulatory procedure is introduced for this aspect, whereas the advisory procedure is maintained for establishing the mandates; - improving the methods of traceability for consumer products; - the introduction of more specific requirements, including the language to be used, in order to ensure that warnings of the risks which certain products may present are clearly worded and readily comprehensible; - cooperation between the authorities and producers and distributors in taking action to withdraw and recall dangerous products; - the provision of information to national authorities on the voluntary measures taken by producers and distributors; - the opening-up of the RAPEX system to the applicant countries, third countries and international organisations under the conditions laid down in agreements between the Community and those countries and organisations; - reference to the principle of transparency from the point of view of access information. Moreover, the Council has introduced some very important innovations such as : - the amending of the definition of "product" and "safe products" and "serious risk" and "withdrawal" in order to better clarify the scope of the Directive. With regard to European standards, a three stage procedure is defined for the drawing up of European standards for the purposes of the Directive, in accordance with the Regulatory Committee procedure; - a more active role for producers and distributors; - a clearer link between the measures to be taken by national authorities and the nature/level of risks presented by the product; - clarifying the scope of the notifications which must be made by Member States to the Commission of restriction measures taken for reasons other than those of serious risks requiring rapid intervention, particularly those involving purely local events; - introduce the obligation of the Member States to notify the Commission, in case of serious risks, also of measures taken on a voluntary basis by producers and distributors; - the consultation process prior to which the Commission can require Member States to take restrictive measures for products posing serious risks is reinforced; - the export ban for products for which the Member States have been required to take restriction measures is maintained in principle, but a different decision can be taken case by case. �

• 2001/02/02 Modified legislative proposal published
  • COM(2001)0063 summary

    The amended proposal presented by the Commission on general product safety incorporates the 30 amendments proposed by the European Parliament as follows. 10 amendments were accepted in full, relating to the following areas: the link between horizontal and specific legislation; the application of the Directive and the results obtained; the definition including services linked to products; distinction between certain areas and the health protection and safety aspects; creation of an advisory committee; traceability of consumer products; risks for the health and safety of consumers and access to the RAPEX system. I6 amendments were rejected relate to the following areas: the exemption of distributors from the obligation to provide information and documentation in the case of charity shops and non-profit organisations and also for the exclusion of second-hand goods sold by private parties; cooperation between producers, distributors and national authorities concerning information; cooperation between Member States, public and private institutions concerning the drafting of reports on market surveillance; the harmonisation of national market monitoring programmes; the safety of services; definition of producer; the precautionary principle; publication of European standards; creation of a network; submission of a report on the application of the Directive every two years and finally, external certification to prove a product's conformity with the safety requirements. The remaining amendments partially accepted by the Commission relate to: citation of certain articles in articles; more precise requirements for warnings concerning the risks which certain consumer products may present; cooperation between producers and distributors and finally, the provision of informaton concerning product risk. �

  • DG [{'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/health_consumer/index_en.htm', 'title': 'Health and Consumers'}],
• 2000/11/15 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
  • T5-0504/2000 summary

    The Parliament has voted 330 to 187 with 11 abstentions in favour of the resolution drafted by Mrs Laura GONZALEZ ALVAREZ (EUL/NGL, E), welcoming a proposed directive designed to improve current legislation on EU-wide safety of consumer products, together with amendments. The amendments seeks to ensure that the legislation does not apply to flea markets, charity shops, car-boot sales and other bric-a-brac activities. (Refer to the decision of the Committee responsible for additional information). In addition, Parliament believes that a Community Rapid Information System (RAPEX) should be both streamlined and extended to non-EU countries. It also believes that a European Product Safety Network between the Member States' authorities competent for the market surveillance of consumer products should be established by 1 January 2004.�

• 2000/10/17 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A5-0309/2000
• 2000/05/19 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 2000/03/29 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(2000)0139 summary

    PURPOSE : Proposal for a new directive on general product safety replacing Council Directive 92/59/EEC on general product safety. CONTENT : The General Product Safety Directive was adopted in 1992 as part of the programme aimed at establishing the internal market by 31 December 1992. While the overall approach of the Directive has been fundamentally sound and does not need substantial revision, its objectives have not been fully achieved because of a lack of clarity, weakness or lacunae in certain of its provisions. The main provisions of the new proposals are : - a clarification of the products covered by the directive. The consumer health and safety protection rules of the directive will in future apply to all consumer products. - the obligations and powers of national surveillance authorities will be strengthened, thereby ensuring more effective market surveillance. - in cases of serious risk, the Rapid alert system (RAPEX) operated at Union level is being improved, and if necessary, emergency measures can be taken at EU level. The possibility of linking RAPEX which is monitored by the Commission to third countries is also envisaged. Emergency procedures to ban the marketing of certain products or to withdraw products from the market or to recall products have been simplified. Rapid market interventions can be taken by the Commission. Two types of measures are envisaged: measures of a permanent nature concerning individual products and measures for certain products posing a serious risk valid for one year, renewable on an annual basis. A Regulatory Consumer Product Safety Committee is established, which will assist the Commission in the adoption of rapid measures. The export to third countries of products prohibited or withdrawn from the market by emergency Community measures is also banned. -Producers and distributors are placed under an obligation to inform the authorities when they conclude that a product that they supply is dangerous. They must also collaborate with the authorities in taking action to avoid any risks posed by the products they supply. All information on dangerous products notified to public authorities may be exchanged freely between national enforcement authorities. The proposal establishes a European Product Safety Network to facilitate this. Consumers have the right to know which products are dangerous and what has been done. -The lack of "status" of European standards under the present directive has weakened its credibility as an effective instrument for ensuring harmonization. European standards do not confer a "presumption of conformity". The new proposal ensures that products in compliance with European standards established by European standardisation bodies under mandate from the Commission, whose references are published in the Official journal, be presumed in conformity with the safety requirements of the directive.�

  • DG [{'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/health_consumer/index_en.htm', 'title': 'Health and Consumers'}],

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(2000)0139
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A5-0309/2000
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T5-0504/2000
• Modified legislative proposal published: COM(2001)0063
• Council position published: 14614/1/2000
• Committee recommendation tabled for plenary, 2nd reading: A5-0133/2001
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading: T5-0259/2001
• Report tabled for plenary, 3rd reading: A5-0313/2001
• Joint text approved by Conciliation Committee co-chairs: 3644/2001
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 3rd reading: T5-0503/2001
• : Directive 2001/95
• : OJ L 011 15.01.2002, p. 0004-0017

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)