Press releases

In 2018, more than 2,200 notifications of non-food products were made to the EU’s rapid alert system (Safety Gate, formerly known as RAPEX) as failing safety requirements. Toys, motor vehicles and clothing were the product groups with the most notifications.

Chemicals which change our hormonal system, so-called endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), are linked to severe health problems, including infertility, obesity, cancer and genital malformations. Today, the European Commission published a strategy on how the EU can address EDCs – a long overdue update to an earlier 1999 strategy.

On 22 June, Member State experts will be voting in Brussels to change the way the EU protects consumers against harmful substances in cosmetics. The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) is extremely concerned this change could create unacceptable health risks. BEUC calls on all national representatives to reject the Commission's stance.

The EU just agreed to restrict over 30 hazardous substances from clothing and other consumer textiles. These substances – which include lead, cadmium and other toxic metals – are used to colour and treat textile products; but they may also cause cancer, harm DNA and reproductive health. BEUC welcomes that the EU is finally tackling these problematic substances but highlights that much work remains to protect consumers against harmful chemicals in textiles, such as endocrine disruptors or allergens.