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During the second part-session of March 2023, the European Parliament is expected to vote on the political agreement on the proposed regulation on general product safety reached in trilogue negotiations on 28 November 2022. This new regulation will replace the current General Product Safety Directive. It addresses the product safety challenges of emerging technologies, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and connected devices, and establishes clear obligations for online marketplaces ...

There is growing interest in the applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in the agri-food sector, to extract or exploit the information in datasets resulting from the monitoring of products and processes. Artificial intelligence algorithms, and the models derived from them, are used as support systems for better decision making or, in some cases, are implemented in automatic control processes and robotics, to alleviate drudgery. In this study, sensing and data collection in different agri-food ...

According to the European Commission, the manufacturing and trade in firearms, their essential components and ammunition employs around 150 000 people in the EU. Following the terrorist attacks in the EU of the last decade, the EU decided to update its legislation on civilian firearms. In 2020, the Commission adopted the 2020-2025 action plan on firearms trafficking to help curb illegal flows of firearms, and ammunition, while also strengthening the legal market. The publication of Directive (EU) ...

As products have become more complex in the digital age, on 28 September 2022, the European Commission published a proposal for a new directive on liability of defective products. This would revise the existing Product Liability Directive, adopted nearly 40 years ago in 1985. The proposal aims to bring the European Union's product liability regime up to speed with the digital age, circular economy business models and global value chains. Addressing the need to ease the burden of proof for consumers ...

On 14 September 2022, the European Commission presented a proposal for a regulation to prohibit products made using forced labour, including child labour, on the internal market of European Union (EU). The proposed legislation fits into the context of EU efforts to promote decent work worldwide. The proposal covers all products made available within the EU market, meaning both products made in the EU for domestic consumption and for export, and imported goods. The provisions of the proposal would ...

Protecting children online is becoming increasingly vital. For over two decades, there has been a limited range of online age verification methods available to protect children from accessing online content unsuitable for their age. A number of countries are introducing legislation and/or codes of practice to address this situation. At EU level too, there are increasing efforts in this regard, with a code of practice in the pipeline. Challenges abound, however, in the areas of privacy, monitoring ...

On 28 November 2022, the European Parliament and the Council reached a political agreement on the proposal for a general product safety regulation. The co-legislators are now expected to adopt the agreed text formally, to allow the new regulation to come into force. The proposed regulation would replace the current General Product Safety Directive. It seeks to address the product safety challenges of emerging technologies, including use of artificial intelligence (AI) and connected devices, and to ...

The European Commission published on 7 November 2022 a proposal for a regulation on data collection and sharing relating to short-term accommodation rental services. The proposal contributes to the Commission's priorities to make the EU fit for the digital age, and to build a future-ready economy that works for people and builds on the recent Digital Services Act, the proposal regulates online platforms, which connect hosts and guests for short-term accommodation rentals. The regulation should facilitate ...

On 23 November 2022, the European Parliament and the Council signed the directive amending the 2014 Radio Equipment Directive, with the aim of mandating a common charger for mobile phones and a number of other small portable devices. The amended directive, proposed by the European Commission on 23 September 2021, will require electronic devices to be equipped with a USB Type C receptacle and to incorporate the USB Power Delivery communication protocol. A separate initiative on the eco-design of external ...

This study examines the intersections between COVID-19, mental health and socioeconomic stressors in the lives of adolescents and young people, the impact of COVID-19 measures, including lockdowns, on children and vulnerable people, and efforts to tackle violence against women and domestic violence in Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic. This document was provided by the Policy Department for Economic, Scientific and Quality of Life Policies at the request of the Special Committee on the COVID-19 ...