Commission publishes Safety Gate report highlighting surge in enforcement action
The European Commission has published its annual report on the Safety Gate Rapid Alert System, recording 4,671 alerts for dangerous non-food products in 2025, a 13% increase on 2024 and the highest annual figure since the system’s launch in 2003. National authorities also notified 5,794 follow-up actions, up 35% year on year, reflecting strengthened cooperation under Regulation (EU) 2023/988 (General Product Safety Regulation). Cosmetics (36%), toys (16%) and electrical appliances (11%) were the most frequently flagged product categories, while dangerous chemicals remained the leading risk, accounting for 53% of alerts, followed by injuries (14%) and choking (9%). Most cosmetics notifications concerned Butylphenyl Methylpropional (BMCHA), a banned synthetic fragrance linked to reproductive harm and skin irritation, and authorities also reported nail polish containing Trimethylbenzoyl Diphenylphosphine Oxide (TPO), banned in 2025 due to risks to prenatal health. Enforcement measures included market withdrawals, border suspensions, removal of online listings and product recalls and in 2025 the Commission’s eSurveillance Webcrawler scanned more than 1.6 million websites, identifying over 20,800 non-compliant products. The Commission states that it will conduct a coordinated product safety ‘sweep’ in 2026 and bring forward further reforms to EU market surveillance rules through a forthcoming European Product Act.