The European Commission has released the latest Annual Safety Gate Report, the EU’s rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products, presenting data for the year 2024. With 4,137 alerts recorded, the system reached its highest level of notifications since its launch in 2003 — a clear indicator of improved efficiency and growing trust among market surveillance authorities. The report also highlights over 4,200 follow-up actions undertaken by national authorities across EU Member States, as well as Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein, to remove hazardous products from the market and prevent risks to consumers’ health and safety.
Cosmetics and Toys Among Most Frequently Notified Products
According to the report, cosmetics topped the list of notified products (36%), followed by toys (15%), electrical appliances (10%), motor vehicles (9%), and chemical products (6%). The majority of risks identified were linked to hazardous chemical substances, commonly found in jewellery (cadmium, nickel, lead), body oils (allergenic fragrances), and textiles (synthetic plasticizers). One particularly alarming finding: 97% of the flagged cosmetic products contained BMHCA, a synthetic fragrance banned due to its reproductive toxicity and potential to cause irritation.
Stronger Regulation and Online Surveillance
In response to these findings, the European Commission has announced new measures to enhance product safety within the Single Market. These include preparations for the first EU-wide coordinated product safety sweep of online stores, under the new General Product Safety Regulation, which has been in force since December 2024. This operation—known as a sweep—will involve simultaneous checks of websites to detect regulatory breaches, especially concerning products sold on digital platforms. In addition, the use of technological tools like the eSurveillance monitoring system has significantly strengthened e-commerce oversight. This system scans thousands of websites daily, in all EU official languages, to detect dangerous products and alert authorities for their removal. In 2024, it analysed 1.6 million webpages and identified more than 5,300 potentially non-compliant online shops.
Towards Stricter Protection
The report also highlights key legislative progress, such as the political agreement reached on 10 April 2025 between the European Parliament and the Council on new toy safety regulations. The forthcoming rules will ban substances like PFAS, endocrine disruptors, and bisphenols, and introduce a Digital Product Passport to ensure stricter control of toys sold both within and outside the EU. Additionally, the E-Commerce Communication presented in February 2025 outlines joint actions in customs, consumer protection, and digital law enforcement to curb the influx of illicit or unsafe products into the European market.
An Effective Network for Safer Consumers
Safety Gate remains a cornerstone tool for ensuring product safety across the European Economic Area. Through coordinated efforts and institutional commitment, the system not only identifies dangerous products but also enables swift action to protect consumer health, rights, and trust.
Source: European Commission