Sorin Mierlea , President of InfoCons Consumer Protection , attends the second day of the ICPHSO 2026 International Symposium
Sorin Mierlea , President of InfoCons Consumer Protection , attends the second day of the ICPHSO 2026 International Symposium
Sorin Mierlea , President of InfoCons , continues his participation today, 10 September 2026, in the second day of the ICPHSO 2026 International Symposium, held at the Charlemagne Building in Brussels, Belgium, under the theme “Advancing a Global Baseline for Product Safety.”
Organised by the International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization – ICPHSO, in partnership with the European Commission, the symposium takes place as part of International Product Safety Week 2026, held from 7 to 10 September.
The event brings together regulators, consumer protection organisations, industry representatives, standardisation bodies, testing laboratories, researchers and legal experts, providing an international framework for dialogue and cooperation in the field of product safety.
The participation of the President of InfoCons contributes to representing consumers’ interests in discussions on risk prevention, market surveillance, the responsibilities of economic operators and improved access to relevant information about products available on the market.
Agenda for 10 September – regulators, safety processes and liability
The second day of the symposium begins at 08:00 with breakfast and registration, followed by the opening remarks at 09:00.
At 09:10, the programme continues with “Global Regulator Session 2,” dedicated to regulators’ perspectives on current product safety challenges.
At 09:55, the session “You Think Your Products Are Safe… But Are Your Processes Ready to Prove It?” addresses whether companies’ internal processes are prepared to demonstrate product safety effectively.
At 10:15, the plenary session “From Compliance to Claims: Product Safety, Enforcement and Liability Across the EU and US” focuses on the relationship between compliance, enforcement and product liability in the European Union and the United States.
Risk assessment, enforcement and e-commerce
Starting at 11:15, participants can choose between three parallel sessions:
- “Social Media/Gaming, Behavioral Patterns, and Risk Assessment: The Manufacturer’s Obligations Under the New EU Product Liability Directive”;
- “Advancing the Baseline: What Does Good Enforcement Really Look Like?”;
- “New Era for e-Commerce Safety in Europe – Tackling the Retailer’s Challenges.”
The sessions address the influence of social media and gaming on consumer behaviour, manufacturers’ obligations under the new EU Product Liability Directive, the effectiveness of enforcement and the challenges faced by retailers in the online environment.
Artificial intelligence and the detection of unsafe products online
At 12:00, the plenary session “Using AI Tools to Detect Unsafe Products Online: Emerging Approaches for Market Surveillance and Recall Effectiveness” focuses on the use of artificial intelligence tools to identify unsafe products sold online.
The session also explores emerging approaches that can support market surveillance activities and improve the effectiveness of product recalls.
Product safety in global trade
The afternoon programme continues at 13:35 with another series of parallel sessions:
- “Velocity, Volume, Variation: The New Geometry of Product Safety in an Age of Global Scale”;
- “Online Marketplaces: Enabling e-Commerce Sellers to Comply with EPR”;
- “Fixing Product Safety Before It Becomes a Compliance Problem: The Voice of Suppliers – Where Execution Actually Happens.”
The discussions focus on the speed and scale at which products circulate globally, supporting online sellers in complying with Extended Producer Responsibility – EPR requirements, and the role of suppliers in preventing safety issues before they become compliance problems.
At 14:20, the programme continues with “Microplastics as a Consumer Product Hazard,” dedicated to microplastics as a potential hazard associated with consumer products. This is followed at 14:40 by the plenary session “Principles Without People Don’t Work.”
From global principles to practical implementation
The final series of parallel sessions begins at 15:35 and includes:
- “Can We Achieve a Global Baseline for Product Safety?”;
- “Promoting a Global Standard for Product Safety – From the Global Gap to Effective Implementation: Towards a Standard of Good Practices and an Ombudsman Model for Product Safety”;
- “Regulatory Uncertainty? No Excuse: Proactive Product Safety Strategies for a Borderless Global Marketplace.”
At 16:20, the programme continues with reflections and key takeaways from the mentorship programme, followed by the presentation of certificates.
At 16:30, the session “Consumers at the Center” places consumers at the heart of the international dialogue on product safety.
The second day and the ICPHSO 2026 International Symposium conclude at 16:50 with “End of Day Remarks and Closing.”