The European directive on product safety is now in force

Directive 2001/95/EC came into force today, January 15, 2004, in Italy and in all member States. It governs the general safety of products destined for consumers and states that only products that do not represent a hazard for health and safety can be put on the market.

The most significant obligations are basically four in number: product identification, risk analysis, investigation of complaints and traceability of defective products. The information leaflet enclosed with the product giving the manufacturer's name and technical specifications is sufficient today, but from today all sunglasses or Ipds must carry 'the product's reference or batch number'; in other words, the model code number or even the product batch number.