The European Commission has released its annual Safety Gate report for 2024, revealing a record-breaking 4,137 alerts for dangerous non-food products—the highest number since the system was introduced in 2003.
Record alerts demonstrate increasing vigilance
The unprecedented increase in alerts through the European Rapid Alert System highlights not only growing concern about product safety but also increased effectiveness and trust in the Safety Gate system. For product compliance managers responsible for ensuring market access in the EU, understanding these trends is crucial for maintaining regulatory compliance.
This annual report provides valuable insights into the types of products most frequently flagged as dangerous and the specific risks that triggered alerts. It also details follow-up actions taken by authorities across EU Member States, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein to protect consumers and remove unsafe products from the market.
Key findings: product categories and risk factors
The report identifies several product categories that drew particular attention from regulators:
- Cosmetics (36%) remained the most frequently reported products posing health risks
- Toys (15%) continued to be a significant concern
- Electrical appliances (10%) represented the third-largest category
- Motor vehicles (9%) and chemical products (6%) rounded out the top five
Notably, chemical ingredients were identified as the primary cause of risk in almost half of all alerts. Specific hazards included:
- Cadmium, nickel, and lead in jewellery
- Allergenic fragrances in body oils
- Synthetic chemicals used to soften plastics in clothing
- BMHCA (a banned synthetic fragrance) found in 97% of notified cosmetics, which can harm the reproductive system and cause skin irritation
Robust regulatory response
The alerts registered in the Safety Gate system triggered more than 4,200 follow-up actions by market surveillance authorities. These actions ranged from stopping sales to removing products from the market entirely, demonstrating the serious consequences for non-compliant products.
For manufacturers and importers, this heightened regulatory vigilance underscores the importance of thorough product testing and comprehensive compliance procedures before bringing products to market.
Looking ahead: upcoming regulatory initiatives
The European Commission is working closely with national market surveillance authorities to prepare the first-ever product safety "sweep"—a coordinated set of checks on websites to identify breaches of EU consumer law in specific sectors.
This initiative aims to verify product compliance with the new General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), with a particular focus on products sold through online marketplaces. For companies selling products online, ensuring compliance with these requirements will be essential to avoid potential regulatory actions.
Regulatory context and enhanced enforcement tools
The Safety Gate report comes amid several significant regulatory developments:
- General Product Safety Regulation: Entered into application in December 2024, providing a modernised framework for ensuring product safety in the EU market. The regulation clarifies that all products sold in the EU—online or offline, regardless of origin—must be safe.
- E-Commerce Communication: Presented in February 2025, this initiative proposes new joint actions to address concerns about unsafe or illicit products entering the Single Market from third countries, with targeted measures in customs, trade, and consumer protection.
- New Toy Safety Rules: On 10 April 2025, the European Parliament and Council reached a political agreement on regulations that will ban harmful chemicals, including PFAS, endocrine disruptors, and bisphenols, in toys. All toys will require a Digital Product Passport, and stricter rules will apply to online sales.
- eSurveillance 'Webcrawler': This application supports enforcement by detecting online offers of dangerous products flagged in Safety Gate. In the past year, it processed nearly 4,000 alerts, analysed almost 1.6 million websites, and identified approximately 5,300 web shops potentially offering reported products.
Steps for compliance managers to take now
In light of these findings and ongoing regulatory developments, product compliance managers should consider several proactive measures:
- Audit product chemical compositions: Review all products for potentially problematic chemicals, with particular attention to those highlighted in the report.
- Enhance testing protocols: Implement more rigorous testing for products in high-risk categories, especially cosmetics, toys, and electrical appliances.
- Review online listings: Ensure all product listings on websites and online marketplaces comply with the General Product Safety Regulation.
- Prepare for Digital Product Passports: Begin developing systems to implement digital product passports, particularly for toy products.
- Monitor the Safety Gate database: Regularly check for alerts related to your product categories to stay informed about emerging concerns.
- Review recall procedures: Ensure robust processes are in place to offer consumers appropriate remedies when recalling unsafe products.
- Stay informed about upcoming "sweeps": Monitor communications from the Commission regarding planned enforcement actions in your sector.
A clear message from regulators
"Year after year, the Commission has strengthened and modernised its tools to ensure that the products entering our homes are safe," stated Michael McGrath, Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection.
The record number of alerts in 2024's Safety Gate report sends a clear message: EU authorities are intensifying their focus on consumer product safety. For manufacturers and importers, compliance is not merely a regulatory obligation—it's becoming a fundamental market access requirement in an increasingly vigilant regulatory environment.
At Alura Group, we recognise the complexities of navigating this intricate regulatory landscape. Our product compliance specialists can help you develop robust testing protocols, audit your product portfolio for potential risks, and ensure your compliance procedures meet the evolving expectations of EU regulators.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_1064
