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It is the Swedish Energy Agency, the Swedish Chemicals Agency and the Swedish Consumer Agency which, in a joint press release, advise against trade outside the borders of the EU.
They warn, among other things, that the products you buy may contain dangerous substances, that they may not meet EU energy efficiency and safety requirements, and that they may be prohibited from being sold in Sweden.
– Furthermore, businesses are difficult to reach for both consumers and us as regulatory authorities, says Cecilia Tisell, CEO of the Swedish Consumer Agency, in the press release.
“It can be life threatening”
Within the EU, for example, toys, electronics and lighting must be CE marked and the manufacturer’s contact information must be on the packaging. Outside the EU, it is not certain that products undergo the same controls.
“Products that do not meet safety requirements can be life-threatening,” the regulators write in the press release.
This could be, for example, small loose parts in toys that pose a choking hazard to children or that the products contain dangerous chemicals that are banned in the EU.
You are responsible
In a Nordic inspection project that included the Swedish Chemicals Agency, up to 78 percent of products purchased directly from companies outside the EU had deficiencies. The corresponding figure for products from companies within the EU was 32 percent.
– As a private person, you yourself become the importer and are therefore responsible for ensuring that products that do not contain prohibited substances and are correctly labeled, says the Director General of the Swedish Chemicals Agency, Per Ängquist, in the press release.
In addition to the security risks and potential inconvenience when returning or complaining, electronic products purchased from non-EU countries may also lack energy labeling and consume more electricity than is allowed, which is bad for both the wallet and the environment.
Hear Emma Henriksen Kvarth, a researcher at the Swedish Consumer Agency, give tips for safer electronic Christmas shopping in the clip above.
