European Commission hosts International Product Safety Week 2026 in Brussels; 20 years of global product safety cooperation.

International Product Safety Week 2026 wraps up today, marking 20 years of global cooperation on consumer safety

Publication date: 11 September 2026

From 7 to 11 September 2026, Brussels hosted the 20th edition of International Product Safety Week organised by the European Commission. This flagship annual event is dedicated to consumer product safety. First launched in 2006, the event has grown into a global forum bringing together regulators, businesses, consumer organisations, international organisations, academics and other product safety experts to exchange knowledge and tackle emerging safety challenges.

This year’s theme was held under the theme “Product safety in motion” and placed a special spotlight on two decades of international cooperation and progress in safer consumer markets.

The anniversary edition opened on Monday 7 September with a session dedicated to celebrating 20 years of International Product Safety Week and international cooperation for consumer product safety . Senior speakers from the European Commission, national authorities, international organisations and consumer bodies reflected on key developments in the field and on the importance of cross-border collaboration in responding to increasingly global product safety risks.

Moreover, a joint European Commission–UNCTAD workshop examined how to put the recently adopted UN Principles on Consumer Product Safety into practice, looking at implementation challenges, capacity building and strategies for achieving safer markets worldwide.

On Tuesday 8 September , Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, Michael McGrath , delivered a high-level opening address underlining the political importance of product safety in the European Union’s wider work on consumer protection, digital transformation and fair markets.

This second day had a strong focus on the future of enforcement in fast-changing markets, with sessions on how product safety policy is adapting to the rapid transformation of e-commerce and on product safety in a digital world, addressing how innovation in smart and connected products creates new physical, digital and mental safety risks. Discussions turned into enforcement cooperation and practical tools among the attendees, concluding with a plenary session on synergies for product safety enforcement.

On Wednesday 9 September , the focus was turned to children’s safety and the longer-term future of consumer protection with the opening addresses from Anna Cavazzini, Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, and Cáit Moran, Deputy Permanent Representative of Ireland to the EU. The final forward-looking session consisted in a reflection on what product safety could look like by 2035 , bringing together perspectives from different regions and stakeholder groups to consider how ambitions can be translated into real-world safety outcomes.

The conversation continued on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday 10 September with the International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization (ICPHSO) International Symposium, on the theme “Advancing a global baseline for product safety”.

IPSW 2026 brought together international partners including UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Consumers International, the International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization (ICPHSO ) and product safety authorities from countries outside the EU. The programme also showcased rapid alert systems from different regions and explored how cooperation between these systems could help strengthen product safety worldwide. Looking to the next generation of product safety professionals, students had the opportunity to connect with experienced professionals, exchange ideas, and learn more about possible careers in product safety thanks to the Student Mentorship Programme.

As product supply chains become more complex and digital marketplaces reshape how consumers shop, International Product Safety Week 2026 provided a forum for reflection and a forum for action. Its 20th anniversary offered an opportunity to take stock of what has been achieved since 2006 while preparing for the next generation of product safety challenges.

Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, Michael McGrath said: “ For 20 years, the International Product Safety Week has shown that keeping consumers safe is a shared effort. It brings together people who develop policies, enforce the rules, innovate and protect consumers. As e-commerce and new technologies transform our markets, this cooperation matters more than ever. Together, we are shaping the future of product safety .”

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