Andrew Henry William Brons (NI). - Mr President, given that national legislation is insufficient, this proposal is ostensibly to protect consumers. Yet the more you read, the more you realise that consumer protection is not wanted primarily for its own sake but because it will facilitate free trade. It seems that cutting the budget would not be acceptable. No surprise there!

In the context of product safety, the report does contain some interesting revelations. In 2010, 58 % of notifications were in respect of goods from China, and in 16 % of cases it was not possible to identify the country of the manufacturer. Alarmingly, 25 % of notifications concerned toys. The drive to extend free trade worldwide without regard for the job security of Europeans is well documented. However, it seems that consumer safety has also been a victim of international free trade. The countries of Europe, individually or collectively, cannot deal with countries that habitually sell us unsafe or substandard goods.