Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-09-25-Speech-2-067"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20070925.5.2-067"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, 65% of the toys distributed in Europe, sold in Europe, are made in China, and the presence of our two Commissioners shows just how important this problem is. This is not only a safety issue but also a health issue affecting a specific consumer group, namely our children. When very young children are involved, the problem is even more serious.
We cannot compromise on safety, especially when the products concerned are intended for small children. I especially worry about the failure of Member States to carry out the necessary controls.
We know that many products made in China are dangerous, but it does not just concern toys, it also concerns textiles and now vehicles. Therefore, this is a huge problem and the European Commission must properly address this issue.
This is why I am in favour of raising safety standards – the famous CE safety mark – so that we can reduce the risk of dangerous substances being present in products that come from China. I am mainly thinking of chemicals, which we have discussed a great deal.
It is a question of corporate responsibility, although Mattel showed that it accepted responsibility. The responsibility of Member States is even more important: it is even more important because I am deeply concerned about what will happen with Internet sales. How can we be sure that the toys recalled by Mattel will not go on sale to European consumers over the Internet? What control do we have?
Consumer information is important: consumers must be aware of the risks of buying these products and must realise that low prices and cheap goods do not go hand in hand with health and safety.
It is also important that we introduce controls – controls at production sites, controls carried out independently and autonomously – and that we prevent these stocks of faulty products from flooding the market and doing more harm."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples