RAPEX is the EU rapid alert system that facilitates the rapid exchange of information between Member States and the Commission on measures taken to prevent or restrict the marketing or use of products posing a serious risk to the health and safety of consumers with the exception of food, pharmaceutical and medical devices, which are covered by other mechanisms. Since 1 January 2010, as regards goods subject to EU harmonisation regulation, the system also facilitates the rapid exchange of information on products posing a serious risk to the health and safety of professional users and on those posing a serious risk to other public interests protected via the relevant EU legislation (e.g. environment and security). Both measures ordered by national authorities and measures taken voluntarily by producers and distributors are reported by RAPEX.
Every Friday, the Commission publishes a weekly overview of the products posing a serious risk as reported by the national authorities (the RAPEX notifications). This weekly overview gives you all information on the product, the possible danger and the measures that were taken by the reporting country. ( Disclaimer - Important notice concerning re-use of RAPEX notifications )
NEW
Enforcement is a top priority of the EU Consumer Policy Strategy 2007-2013. Both measures leading to RAPEX notifications and measures which come to the attention of the Commission and other Member States as reactions are indications of enforcement activity in the Member State concerned.
In order to give a better view on the overall level of enforcement, including the follow-up activities of the national market surveillance authorities, the Commission RAPEX team has decided to publish on the RAPEX website also the names of the countries that have found the notified product on their market and have taken appropriate measures (and have submitted a reaction to a RAPEX notification as a consequence).
Information about the reacting countries is available in the RAPEX weekly overviews in the column 'Products were found and measures were taken also in'. The Commission RAPEX team will publish reactions sent (from May 2009 onwards) to 2009 RAPEX notifications.
Latest notifications are here
