If so, you might be interested to have your say on a proposal which the European Commission is preparing which could have future implications for your business. The Commission is looking to amend the existing EU product liability rules, to bring them up to date for our digital and circular economy age.
The existing EU Directive aims to protect consumers who suffer injury or property damage from defective products and covers a wide range of goods, from garden chairs to cars. But it dates back to 1985 and our world has changed a lot since then! In particular, a whole new range of digital products and services have come on stream. At the same time, we’re also moving increasingly towards a more circular economy, where goods are refurbished and reused.
Earlier studies by the Commission have shown that the current rules aren’t fit to cope with situations where a product’s safety depends not only on its design and production, but also on software updates, data flows and algorithms. It’s also apparently often been difficult for consumers to get compensation, especially when it comes to proving that complex products were defective and caused damage.
So now the Commission is seeking views on how the Directive should be updated and on the implications of the increased use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in products . It is particularly keen to hear from manufacturers, software developers and other businesses, especially small and medium-sized businesses.
If you’d like to contribute to this consultation, please contact our enquiry line on 0300 123 3144 or email contact@enterprise-europe.co.uk and we’ll help you get involved!
The closing date for comments is 10th January 2022.
