Commission supports actions by the Member States to improve the safety of consumer products

The Commission awards financial contributions for joint surveillance and enforcement actions related to the application of Directive 2001/95/EC on general product safety (the GPSD).

The joint surveillance and enforcement actions should be in the area of non-food consumer product safety and involve administrative cooperation between the authorities or other designated bodies of several Member States and EFTA/EEA countries, in particular on product testing, risk assessment, market monitoring, and exchange of expertise and best practices related to market surveillance.

The financial contributions in question may be awarded by the Commission to surveillance and enforcement authorities and other non-profit-making bodies designated by the Member States, EFTA/EEA countries, as well as third countries under the applicable conditions, and agreed by the Commission.

Currently, the following projects in this area are being supported by the Commission:

SUSYSAFE
SUSYSAFE stands for Surveillance System on Suffocation Injuries due to Foreign Bodies in European children. Suffocation due to foreign bodies is a leading cause of death in children aged 0-3 and is also common in older ages, up to 14 years. The aim of the SUSYSAFE project is to establish a surveillance registry for injuries due to non-food foreign bodies' ingestion, to collect as many scientific data as possible and to serve as a basis for a knowledge-based consumer protection activity in the European market.
http://www.susysafe.org/

EMARS
The objective of the EMARS project is the enhancement of market surveillance through best practice. EMARS is being undertaken by Prosafe, the Product Safety Enforcement Forum of Europe. Between 2006 and the end of 2008, market surveillance officials from across Europe will be working together to identify best practice for improving the safety of non-food consumer products. The EMARS project aims to produce a number of deliverables to help enhance market surveillance in Europe, such as a knowledge base, a rapid advice system, a best practice handbook, a risk assessment handbook and a strategy document on the future of market surveillance in the EU.
http://www.emars.eu/

Cord Extension Sets
The Administrative Cooperation Working Group (ADCO) under the Low Voltage Directive (LVD) is undertaking a project regarding the safety of so-called multiple outlet cord extension sets. The main objective of the project is to improve the safety of these products, which are ubiquitous in all households and are often found to be unsafe. Secondly, the project aims to change cross-border market surveillance, from an often ad-hoc activity to an integral part of the daily work of market surveillance officers.
http://forum.europa.eu.int/Members/irc/enterprise/esg/library?l=/surveillance_projects/2007_extension_cord (restricted access)