Big retailers pledge speedy removal of dangerous products
June 25, 2018
US-based Amazon and eBay, China's Alibaba and Japan's Rakuten are set to remove products labeled dangerous by an EU member state within two working days. They have also pledged to "take action on notices from customers within five working days," according to a European Commission news release.
"Consumers should be just as safe when they buy online as when they buy in a shop," EU Commissioner Vera Jourova said on Monday. "I also call on other online marketplaces to join this initiative, so that the internet becomes a safer place for EU consumers," she added.
Other measures the four retailers agreed to include:
- giving shoppers a "clear way to notify dangerous products listings"
- consulting relevant information on recalled or dangerous products
- providing "single contact points" for authorities
- providing information and training to sellers on "compliance with EU product safety legislation"
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The Commission said 20 percent of all sales in the EU in 2016 were made online. Consumer protection agencies flagged more than 2,200 dangerous products last year.
Among the products most commonly labeled as dangerous are toys, which can either contain choking hazards or toxic chemicals. Motor vehicles as well as clothing and textiles in general are in second and third place.
Most of those products come from outside the EU, with China topping the list. However, dangerous products originating in Europe made up a hefty 26 percent of notifications in 2017, according to a Commission report released in March.