RAPEX release 2015 annual report
April 29, 2016
The European Commission published new figures this week, on 25 April, showing that in 2015 more than 2,000 dangerous products triggered EU-wide alerts.
These were alerted through the Rapid Alert System (RAPEX). When one Member State posts an alert on the system, other countries can spot the product on their market and react to this initial alert.
Which products pose the greatest risk?
In 2015, toys remained the most notified products across Europe (27%), followed by clothing, textiles and fashion items (17%) and motor vehicles (10%).
The most frequently notified risk last year was chemical risk (25% of the total notifications). Most of the cases of chemical risk related to toys and jewellery. Chemical risk was followed by the risk of injuries (22%), which had topped the list of risks in previous years.
Source: European Commission
Where are these products coming from?
China remains the number one country of origin for notified dangerous products. Last year 62% of these products came from China.
As part of the China Mechanism in RAPEX, each notification concerning a product of Chinese origin is sent to the Chinese administration. They can then address the issue with the manufacturer or exporter directly, if they can be traced.
How many products were notified in Ireland?
Ireland submitted five serious risk notifications to RAPEX in 2015. There were also 106 Irish reactions to notifications.
The five serious risk notifications from Ireland included an air hockey table from Smyth’s Toys, a Beats speaker from Apple Corp and a travel adapter, children’s jeans and a cup from Dunnes Stores.
The Product Safety Unit, in the CCPC’s Criminal Enforcement Division, is the Irish contact point for RAPEX. As part of the RAPEX network, the PSU is required to examine any information received about a product recall anywhere in the EU and assess whether the product is relevant to the Irish market.
