Cefic has analysed the 2023 data from ‘Safety Gate,’ the EU’s rapid alert system for unsafe products, revealing an urgent need to strengthen enforcement of EU chemicals legislation, particularly for imported goods and online sales.

“The rise in chemical non-compliance, particularly in imported goods and online sales, highlights the urgent need to strengthen enforcement of EU chemicals legislation. With over half of reported product risks now linked to chemical safety – and a significant share stemming from non-EU countries – it is clear that improved market surveillance and more coordinated oversight across member states are essential to protect European consumers and uphold the “integrity of EU regulations,” said Steven van de Broeck, Cefic Executive Director Product Stewardship

Key Findings:

Surge in Chemical Non-Compliance: The percentage of chemical non-compliances in products rose from 35 % in 2022 to 51 % in 2023, making it the most reported risk for the second year running.

This spike was driven mainly by a 12-fold surge in non-compliant cosmetics, but there has also been a significant increase of chemicals non-compliant with REACH (with figures doubling in 2023), and RoHS (in electronics , with figures tripling in 2023).

Imported goods remain the largest source of chemicals non-compliance with REACH (almost doubling to 901 instances in 2023).

The number of products containing endocrine disruptors showed an upwards trend for the third consecutive year. This raises concerns about enforcement levels for imported goods, as 419 out of 427 instances came from outside the EU/EEA or from an unknown origin.

Anomaly or Trend? The sharp rise in chemical non-compliance cases raises questions on whether this is a short-term anomaly or an indication of deeper enforcement issues.

Cefic’s analysis underscores the need for targeted enforcement and better oversight of imported and products sold online to safeguard consumer safety and uphold EU regulations.