Sorin Mierlea , President of InfoCons Consumer Protection , attends International Product Safety Week 2026 in Brussels
Sorin Mierlea , President of InfoCons Consumer Protection , attends International Product Safety Week 2026 in Brussels
From 7 to 10 September 2026, Sorin Mierlea , President of InfoCons , will attend the events taking place in Brussels as part of International Product Safety Week 2026, held under the theme “Product Safety in Motion.”
Organised by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers, the event marks 20 years of international cooperation in the field of product safety and brings together representatives of public authorities, consumer protection organisations, international institutions, businesses and experts from around the world.
Over the course of four days, participants will examine current developments and challenges related to product safety, ranging from the growth of e-commerce and the emergence of new technologies to child protection, the use of standards, market surveillance, rapid alert systems and digital tools used to identify non-compliant products.
The participation of the President of InfoCons in these meetings provides an opportunity for international exchanges of experience and for supporting consumers’ interests in discussions concerning the development of safer markets.
7 September 2026 – International Cooperation, UN Principles and Rapid Alert Systems
The first day of the event will focus on the development of international cooperation in the field of product safety, the implementation of the United Nations Principles and the role of rapid alert systems.
09:45–10:45 – Welcome Coffee and Registration
Participants will be welcomed during the opening registration session.
10:45–12:15 – Celebrating 20 Years of International Product Safety Week and International Cooperation for Consumer Product Safety
This interactive session will mark two decades of International Product Safety Week. The discussions will combine a presentation of achievements with a review of the progress made and the challenges encountered, as well as perspectives on strengthening international cooperation in the field of product safety.
12:15–13:45 – Lunch Break
13:45–15:00 – Joint European Commission–UNCTAD Workshop: “Global Product Safety in Action: Bringing the UN Principles on Consumer Product Safety to Life”
The workshop will address the challenges and opportunities associated with implementing the recently adopted United Nations Principles on Consumer Product Safety.
Participants will receive information about the forthcoming UNCTAD Handbook on Consumer Product Safety, which is being developed to support the practical implementation of these principles. Experts and representatives from different countries will also present experiences, strategies and solutions that can contribute to the development of safer markets.
Ahead of the workshop, participants were invited to complete a questionnaire on the experiences and practical approaches adopted in different countries regarding key aspects of consumer product safety.
The contributions submitted through the questionnaire will inform the discussions held during the meeting and will feed into the process of finalising the forthcoming UNCTAD Handbook. Some of the questions and contributions will also be used during the workshop to facilitate an exchange of experiences among participants.
15:00–15:30 – Coffee Break
15:30–16:30 – Around the Product Safety World: A Live Tour of Rapid Alert Systems
The session will provide an overview of the rapid alert systems used internationally to protect consumers. Participants will examine the latest developments in dangerous product reporting, as well as innovative approaches and technologies used to identify risks and communicate information to authorities and consumers.
16:30–16:45 – Short Break
16:45–17:45 – Parallel Sessions
The first session, entitled “Standards in Motion: Turning Product Safety Requirements into Practice,” will highlight the role of technical standards in translating legislative requirements into concrete solutions that can be implemented by manufacturers, assessed by authorities and trusted by consumers.
Participants will examine how standards transform legal requirements into technical specifications, facilitate compliance and contribute to ensuring a high level of consumer protection.
The parallel workshop, “Regulators in Motion,” will be a closed-door session reserved for regulators from around the world. Its participatory format will include discussions in small groups on current challenges, existing experiences and potential common solutions in the field of product safety.
8 September 2026 – E-Commerce, Digital Technologies and Product Safety Enforcement
The second day will focus on changes in e-commerce, the risks associated with modern products and ways of improving the enforcement of product safety rules.
08:00–09:00 – Welcome Coffee and Registration
09:00–09:30 – High-Level Opening Address
The opening addresses will be delivered by Michael McGrath, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, and Pedro Manuel Moreno, Acting Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development – UNCTAD.
09:30–11:00 – Fast Forward: Product Safety Adapting to the Ever-Changing E-Commerce Landscape
The e-commerce landscape is undergoing a rapid and profound transformation. According to the event agenda, almost 5.9 billion low-value small packages were imported into the European Union in 2025, representing a nearly fourfold increase compared with 2022.
The session will examine trends that may influence e-commerce in the coming years, the latest product safety challenges and surveillance strategies capable of responding to emerging market realities.
11:00–11:30 – Coffee Break
11:30–13:00 – Product Safety in a Digital World: Balancing Innovation, Compliance and Consumer Trust
Smart home devices, wearables and other modern technologies can pose digital, mental and physical risks to consumers.
The session will address the challenges of ensuring product safety in a rapidly evolving technological environment. Participants will examine recent findings from studies and projects carried out by the European Union and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development – OECD, alongside risk mitigation strategies and examples of best practice.
13:00–14:30 – Lunch Break
14:30–16:00 – Moving Product Safety to the Next Level: Cooperation and Synergies for Product Safety Enforcement
Effective enforcement of product safety rules is important both for protecting consumers against dangerous products and for maintaining a level playing field for businesses.
The session will present initiatives and best practices that can strengthen cooperation among institutions and support the development of more effective market surveillance and enforcement mechanisms.
16:00–16:30 – Coffee Break
16:30–17:45 – Parallel Sessions
The session entitled “Flash Insights on Product Safety Enforcement” will include three thematic presentations:
strengthening the role of gatekeepers and an explanation of the new European Union Customs Reform;
chemical safety in consumer products and practical enforcement;
the circular economy and new findings from a European Commission study on product safety enforcement challenges.
The parallel session, “Boosting Product Safety Enforcement through Digital Tools,” will examine how digital technologies are transforming the work of market surveillance authorities.
Discussions will cover platforms that facilitate access to critical product information, eSurveillance, proactive tools for automatically monitoring the online environment and identifying non-compliant products sold through digital marketplaces. The interoperability of different systems will also be addressed, with a focus on how digital tools can work together to support more effective enforcement.
18:30–22:00 – Networking Cocktail and Dinner
Participation in this activity is subject to separate confirmation from the organisers due to limited capacity.
9 September 2026 – Child Safety and Perspectives for 2035
08:00–09:00 – Welcome Coffee and Registration
09:00–09:30 – Opening Address for Day Three
09:30–10:30 – Advancing Child Safety in a Changing World
Children face an increasingly complex range of risks, from unsafe consumer products to harmful practices encountered online.
The session will examine responses to these challenges through updated toy safety rules, enhanced oversight of childcare products and products that appeal to children, as well as measures designed to strengthen the protection of children in the digital environment. Discussions will highlight the role of innovation, cooperation and effective enforcement.
10:30–11:00 – Coffee Break
11:00–12:00 – What Comes Next: Visions for 2035 – Delivering Global Product Safety in Practice
Organised in cooperation with Consumers International, an organisation of which InfoCons is a member, the session will address the future of product safety across global markets.
Representatives of different stakeholder groups will examine how business practices, enforcement, market surveillance and the exchange of practical experience can translate international ambitions into concrete safety outcomes for consumers.
12:00–12:30 – Closing Session of International Product Safety Week 2026
12:30–14:00 – Lunch Break
14:00–18:30 – ICPHSO International Symposium – Day One
The first day of the International Symposium organised by the International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization – ICPHSO will begin in the afternoon. Attendance at the symposium is subject to specific conditions and registration requirements.
10 September 2026 – ICPHSO International Symposium
09:00–17:00 – ICPHSO International Symposium – Day Two
The final day of the programme will be dedicated to the continuation of the ICPHSO International Symposium, which brings together professionals and organisations involved in consumer product health and safety.
Product Safety and Consumers’ Access to Information
International Product Safety Week provides an international framework for examining the challenges generated by e-commerce, emerging technologies, global supply chains and the high number of products entering the market every day.
Cooperation among public authorities, consumer protection organisations, businesses and international institutions contributes to the faster identification of dangerous products, improved information exchange and the development of effective prevention and market surveillance tools.
Through its participation in the events organised in Brussels, InfoCons Consumer Protection continues its work to represent and inform consumers and to promote mechanisms that support their access to safe products and clear information about the risks associated with non-compliant products.
The InfoCons App Helps Consumers Identify Products Subject to Safety Alerts
In a market where products move rapidly between countries and online commerce provides access to an increasingly diverse range of goods, informing consumers about non-compliant products is particularly important.
Through the InfoCons European Consumer Protection App, users can directly access alerts concerning non-compliant non-food products, updated at European Union level. These alerts include information about the product concerned, the country in which it was reported, the identified risk, the measures taken and, where available, images that can help consumers recognise it.
Consumers can search for and check products included in the alert system to find out whether an item they intend to purchase or already own has been reported as non-compliant. The identified risks may range from accidents, injuries, choking and electric shock to fire, exposure to hazardous chemicals or environmental damage.
Rapid access to this information helps prevent potentially dangerous situations and supports consumers in making informed choices. The InfoCons App also facilitates access to information from European alert systems in a format that is easy to consult directly from a mobile phone.