European Product
Liability Review
September 2008
Issue 32
IN THIS ISSUE
• OVERVIEW
1
• SCIENCE FEATURE -
NANOTECHNOLOGY: RECENT INTEREST
2
• PRODUCT SAFETY REGULATION - EU
6
•
LAW AND PROCEDURE - POLAND
14
•
LAW AND PROCEDURE - UK
16
• RECENT CASES - UK
20
•
INTERNATIONAL REPORTS
24
European Product Liability Review - September 2008 - Issue 32
In this issue...
1
OVERVIEW
SCIENCE FEATURE
2
Nanotechnology: recent interest
There have been recent reports linking carbon
nanotubes with diseases similar to those caused
by asbestos. Marion Palmer (London) provides
an update on the state of the science in the
nanotechnology sphere and considers the
potential implications for product manufacturers.
PRODUCT SAFETY REGULATION - EU
6
European Commission consults on Consumer
Product Risk Assessment Guidelines
The European Commission issued in July a
consultation on the risk assessment guidelines it
intends to roll out to give product manufacturers
and authorities guidance on how to deal with any
product safety crisis. The guidelines are
important and could have a significant impact on
the way in which product safety crises are
managed in the future. Rod Freeman and
Matthew Hibbert (London) review the way in
which the guidelines have been adapted to deal
with criticism of the existing methodology, and
highlight areas of concern.
9
European Commission seeks input into EU
wide classification of consumer complaints
There is much to be said for an EU database of
consumer product complaints, but without
harmonised reporting procedures the true worth of
such a system is likely to be called into question.
In an attempt to rectify this problem, the European
Commission has opened a public consultation on
developing a common methodology for reporting
complaints which, as Germaine Gillen (London)
reports, is likely to be of interest to product
manufacturers.
11
Product safety cannot be guaranteed