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Here, they torture toys, inspect irons, analyze coffee makers and put drills through their

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paces.

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This is the mechanical and electrical test laboratory at the General Inspectorate for

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Consumer Protection in Budapest.

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In this laboratory, we test small domestic appliances, as well as toys and other things

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for children.

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We check their mechanical and physical performance.

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Although in Europe, producers and importers must ensure that the products they sell conform

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to safety standards, national authorities make regular checks.

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These checks are carried out following market inspections or consumer complaints.

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When the product investigated does not conform to legislation, and really does present a

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serious danger, it is immediately taken off the market.

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Other product withdrawals or recalls can also come from manufacturers and importers,

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who after the product is put on the market, realize that it represents a previously unnoticed

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safety risk.

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These checks and decisions are carried out on a national scale.

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But the European market is open with no internal borders.

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Goods and merchandise circulate freely in the countries of the European Union and the

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EEA, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

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And 90% of goods imported into the EU are channeled through seaports.

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To protect every European consumer, all the control organizations in the 30 countries

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in this economic zone must exchange information and cooperate with each other.

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And that is why the European Commission has established a Rapid Alert System, or RAPEX.

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The system constantly receives information on dangerous products from the 30 countries

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via their national authorities.

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Processed and translated into five languages, the Commission redistributes the information

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very rapidly to the other 29 countries.

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RAPEX's objective is to prevent products which present a serious risk to the health

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and safety of consumers from finding their way onto shop shelves, or, if they're already

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on the shelves, that they're withdrawn as soon as possible.

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When I say consumer products, I mean all products which are available to consumers, with the

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exception of food products, pharmaceutical goods and medical devices for which specific

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alert systems exist.

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Most of these notifications are available week after week on the RAPEX website.

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In 2006, RAPEX received 924 notifications of products presented.