Products and services must comply with general safety regulations and, in some cases, additional specific regulations.
The general safety regulations for products and services are outlined in the Code of Economic Law, Book IX on the Safety of Products and Services. This general legislation on the safety of products and services applies for both consumers and professionals (employers and employees).
This Code is the conversion of European Directive 2001/95/EC of 3 December 2001 on general product safety. This European legislation contains the requirements for all general safety aspects for products intended for consumers placed on the market before 13 December 2024.
For certain products and services, these general safety requirements are supplemented by specific regulations.
Change in Legislation from 13 December 2024 (GPSR)
On 13 December 2024, the European Directive 2001/95/EC has been repealed and replaced by Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety (GPSR). This regulation contains many new requirements. It describes in more detail the obligations of the various stakeholders in the product distribution chain for consumer products. As a regulation, it is directly applicable across all European Union countries and will not be transposed into Belgian regulations.
The Code of Economic Law shall be amended accordingly. It will contain the general safety obligations that products intended for professional use (employers and employees) and services must meet.
