What: The International Product Safety Week (IPSW) took place in Brussels gathered academia, experts, companies and stakeholders from all over the world to discuss pressing issues around product safety and compliance.

Why it is important: The concrete implementation of the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), will enter into application on 13 December 2024.

The IPSW held two high-level panels with representatives from the European Commission, European Parliament, OECD and consumer organisations. The first panel was on the application of product safety requirements for second hand products. Stakeholders discussed the importance of appropriate risk assessments in the process of making safe circular economy products available to consumers. The second panel also held discussions regarding risk assessment of product, applied this time to new technology, and specifically AI. According to some speakers, AI can present a real threat to consumers, both physically and mentally, and these stakeholders stressed the importance of anticipating and mitigating those risks by having a tailored and holistic approach.

Takeaways from the International Product Safety Week 2024