Tests conducted by the Maltese authorities under the EU’s Coordinated Activities on the Safety of Products (CASP) have revealed alarming safety failures across a range of everyday household items.
The seven product categories sampled included baby soothers, high-chairs, lighting chains, mini electric heaters, electronic cigarettes, children’s bicycles, and slime toys.
Various serious hazards were identified for these categories. Over 50% of disposable electronic cigarettes and lighting chains tested failed to meet safety standards, and none of the children’s bicycles complied with at least one of the testing requirements. Serious hazards identified – including high-chair instability and injury risk, product toxicity, undeclared nicotine, missing health warnings, and potential electric shock – have triggered EU-wide alerts and enforcement of appropriate measures to protect consumers.
.Non-compliancerates for products sold in Malta
Of the 52 products sampled by the Maltese market authorities, 55.77% met the safety requirements they were tested against, while 44.23% did not.
• Disposable electronic cigarettes – over 60% of products tested failed, primarily due to the serious chemical risks.
• Lighting chains – 60% of items tested were also found to be non-compliant.
• High-chairs – over 30% of these products for young children did not meet at least one of the safety requirements.
• Children’s bicycles – none of the four models tested met at least one of the testing requirements.
In response to these serious safety failings, Maltese authorities took immediate action to safeguard consumers – including issuing EU-wide alerts, requesting that manufacturers mark products with appropriate warnings, recalling products from consumers, and withdrawing them from the market.
.Testing dangerousproducts at EU level
Over 40 participating authorities across the EU, responsible for market surveillance, bought more than 600 product samples in their national markets in 2024. These comprised 145 baby soothers, 60 high chairs, 87 lighting chains, 80 mini electric heaters, 57 disposable electronic cigarettes, 47 children’s bicycles and 180 slime toys. The items were sent to accredited laboratories for testing, with results subsequently used to conduct risk assessments for products that failed to meet the testing requirements.
Of all products tested, an average of only 57% met the safety requirements, with particularly concerning results observed for a number of commonly used household goods, including electric heaters and baby products.
To address the product safety issues identified, national authorities have also issued health and safety recommendations for consumers and compliance guidelines for manufacturers.
.CASP’s objectives: Enhancing consumer protection
Through CASP, an annual initiative, the European Commission and national market surveillance authorities coordinate product testing across the EU and EFTA countries. Their goal is to enhance consumer protection by identifying non-compliant, often dangerous products, and enforce corrective measures.
Joint testing campaigns enable national authorities to better identify risks and take swift actions to safeguard product safety by harmonising testing practices and sharing best practices. The programme’s results also promote heightened consumer awareness, encouraging more informed purchasing decisions.
CASP is funded through the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers.
Continued efforts to step up product safety for EU consumers
To help consumers make safer choices, the full CASP 2024 testing results are available online. Consumers are also encouraged to:
• Consult the Safety Gate to check if products they intend to purchase have been flagged for safety risks.
• Report hazardous products they have purchased via the platform to alert authorities and prevent further incidents on the Consumer Safety Gateway.