European Commission Publishes 2024 Annual Safety Gate Report

The cosmetics product category clearly received the highest share of all alerts reported, at 36%, followed by toys, electrical applications and equipment and motor vehicles. However, the number of alerts for these other categories remained relatively stable compared to previous years.

As in 2023, increased monitoring of cosmetic products was a major factor behind the rise in alerts related to chemical risks in 2024. Consequently, chemical risks remained the most commonly reported risk category, accounting for 49% of all alerts (see chart below):

Notably, 97% of the chemical alerts for cosmetics were due to the presence of 2-(4-tert-butylbenzyl) propionaldehyde (BMHCA) – a synthetic fragrance ingredient widely used in various cosmetic products, which has been banned in the EU market since March 2022.

The increase in the number of chemical risk alerts also stems from the detection of hazardous substances in other product types, such as electronic devices – for example, short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) in cables and lead in solders.

In 2024, the breakdown by country of origin of unsafe products once again showed a high number of alerts related to cosmetic products. Alerts for products originating from China represented the largest share – 40% of the total across all categories (up from 37% in 2023), rising to 61% when cosmetics are excluded from the analysis.

Since 2006, the EC has cooperated closely with Chinese authorities on product safety. This includes the establishment of SPEAC, an EU-funded information and training program designed to raise awareness of EU product safety requirements among Chinese businesses. Furthermore, an action plan on online product safety was signed in September 2023, including an agreement to report actions taken against dangerous products sold online within 21 days.

Since December 2024, the General Product Safety Regulation (GSPR) has reinforced product safety rules across the EU. The new regulation enhances consumer protection for online purchases by improving the traceability of dangerous products sold online. It also introduces new rules to streamline compliance checks by authorities and to make product recalls more efficient and consumer-friendly. In addition, it empowers consumers through a new centralized online tool for reporting dangerous products to market surveillance authorities.

Please follow the link to access the 2024 Annual Report.

SGS publishes the latest unsafe product notifications in Europe, the US, Canada and Australia for free every week on its Product Recalls online platform.

*Please note all charts shared in this review are taken from the EC report – The Safety Gate Rapid Alert System In 2024.

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