A Short Critique on the Stance of the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority on Melamine Polymer Formaldehyde Exposures

In February 2021, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority came out with their risk assessment on formaldehyde exposure from melamine crockery with bamboo fiber to especially young children. In this short commentary, I will critique their assessment of this type of food-contact material (FCM). The main flaws are at least: (i) absence of a proper valuation of the available principal scientific literature yielding a biased risk assessment; (ii) discounting the endogenous formaldehyde formation that outweighs background exposure substantially; (iii) ad hoc positing of an unjustifiable and unfounded low background exposure levels to formaldehyde whereby risks of exposure to melamine formaldehyde is grossly exaggerated. This biased assessment has created societal unrest that is wholly uncalled for. Additionally, it has wide-ranging European consequences for the use of all melamine FCM.

Cybersecurity of consumer products against the background of the EU model of cyberspace protection

The entry into force of Regulation 2019/881 heralded a new stage in the construction of the EU cybersecurity model. At present, at the level of both EU institutions and individual Member States, preparatory work is underway to create the first ICT certification programmes relating to the area of cybersecurity. To date, the role of national competition and consumer protection authorities in helping to build a coherent cybersecurity model has not been sufficiently highlighted. The problem of the cybersecurity of products intended for the consumer market is a pressing issue. Furthermore, its significance is growing due in no small part to the increasing number of so-called smart connected consumer products and the mass expansion of the IoT market. As a result, threats to security or privacy increasingly stem not from cyberattacks on leading providers of online services but from the exploitation of vulnerabilities in commonly-used consumer products. This article aims to discuss the possible role of competition and consumer protection authorities in shaping a future model of EU cybersecurity. We discuss the existing mechanisms in EU law that allow supervisory authorities to shape the consumer product safety market and consider whether these measures can also be considered adequate for cybersecurity purposes. Particular attention is paid to identifying what legislative steps would be necessary to effectively synthesize the new EU cybersecurity regulations (including the planned cybersecurity certification framework) with existing consumer product safety laws.

Analysis of Crash Reports for Recumbent Bicycles and Tricycles

A survey collected 130 crash reports from riders of recumbent bicycles and tricycles, using questions and response categories consistent with data available for bicycle-associated injuries from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. From the results, it appears that recumbents and traditional bicycles are generally subject to the same crash contributory factors – primarily road conditions, rider behavior, and conflict with motor vehicles. Crashes with recumbent tricycles were more likely to involve riding on streets and conflicts with motor vehicles than for recumbent 2-wheelers. Comparison with data from an exposure survey suggest that 3-wheel recumbents may have considerably lower crash risk than 2-wheel recumbents.