Recall Summary – Toys in Europe, the US, Australia & Japan (Mar 2020)

RAPEX – Rapid Exchange of information system

The Rapid Alert System enables the rapid exchange of information (RAPEX) between 31 European countries and the European Commission on non- food dangerous products found on the market posing a risk to health and safety of consumers.

A weekly overview of the alerts on those products is published in English for free on http://ec.europa.eu/rapex. The measures taken in the notifying country in order to restrict their marketing or use can be ordered by national authorities ("compulsory measures") or be taken directly by producers and distributors ("voluntary measures").

The official contact points of the Member and EFTA-EEA States provide the information published in these weekly overviews. Under the terms of Annex II.10 of the General Product Safety Directive (2001/95/EC) responsibility for the information provided lies with the notifying party. The Commission does not take any responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided.

CPSC

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is an independent agency of the United States government. To provide better service in alerting the American people to unsafe, hazardous or defective products, a “one stop shop” for U.S. Government recalls, www.recalls.gov, has been created. Public can report unsafe products to CPSC by using the platform.

The recall list is divided into seven categories: Consumer Products, Motor Vehicles, Boats, Food, Medicine, Cosmetics and Environmental Products. Generally, the recall was conducted voluntarily by the company under CPSC’s Fast Track Recall program. Fast Track recalls are initiated by firms who commit to work with CPSC to quickly announce the recall and remedy to protect consumers.

Australian Product Safety System

The Australian product safety system is to maximize the safety of good by the cooperation of consumers, businesses and agencies. This policy sets out the principles adopted by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) for prioritizing and addressing product safety risks.

Under the Australian Consumer Law, a responsible Minister can order a compulsory recall when there are hazards on the products. A voluntary recall could be conducted to remove the product from the marketplace when the suppliers become aware of unsafe or defective products.

The ACCC administers a national recalls system for recalls of specific and general consumer products, and publishes all product recalls on the website https://www.productsafety.gov.au/recalls.

Japan’s Product Safety System

 In Japan, Consumer Product Safety Act  -- which is administrated by Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) -- gives a framework for the product recalls, and publishing information of product accidents.

The Consumer Product Safety Act regulates the manufacture and sale of specific products in order to prevent the damage to the general consumers caused by the products.

METI publishes list of  products which are considered to have higher possibilities of causing hazards in the website: https://www.meti.go.jp/product_safety/recall/index.html

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