Protection of consumers: general product safety (rev. Directive 92/59/EEC)

During its second reading of the proposed changes to Directive 92/59/EEC on general product safety, the European Parliament tabled seven amendments. The European Commission announced that it can accept, in full or in part, five of the seven amendments put forward. The amendment relating to the safety of services is accepted by the Commission with some changes to the actual wording. The Commission further accepts Parliamentary proposals to set up an "Advisory" rather than a "Regulatory" Committee which supervises the setting of safety objectives for standardisation mandates. In relation to the insertion of the precautionary principle, the Commission accepts that there may be a need for this principle but does propose a rewording of the actual amendment. The Commission can not however, accept amendments aimed at introducing a reference to independent certification as a means of proving compliance with the safety requirements of the Directive. Lastly, the Commission can not accept an amendment (Amendment 11), which, it claims, could effectively interfere in its right of initiative. The Commission is altering its proposal in light of the accepted amendments. �