ANEC, the European Consumer Voice in Standardisation, deeply regrets to see a further bureaucratic delay in the adoption of the new regulation on child restraint systems (known as the “I-size Regulation”).

Work on the new regulation, which will provide better protection to younger children when travelling by car, started in 2008 and was endorsed by the UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) Working Party on Secondary Safety (GRSP) in December 2011. Although the new regulation is ready to be put to vote at the upcoming 157th session of Working Party 29 in June 2012, it will not be adopted (as the EU needs more time to finalise its internal procedures). Adoption by WP 29 in June 2012 would have led to the implementation of the new regulation in January 2013.

Stephen Russell, ANEC Secretary-General, commented: “It is disappointing to see that the new regulation, able to offer greater safety to the youngest of consumers, is hampered by cumbersome internal EU procedures.  We urge the European Commission, the Council and the European Parliament to take all means possible to ensure the timely adoption and implementation of the new regulation”.  

ENDS

ANEC in brief

ANEC is the European consumer voice in standardisation, representing and defending consumer interests in the process of standardisation and certification. ANEC was set up in 1995 as an international non-profit association under Belgian law and represents consumer organisations from the 27 EU Member States and 3 EFTA countries and Croatia. ANEC is funded by the European Union and the EFTA Secretariat, while national consumer organisations contribute in kind. Its Secretariat is based in Brussels.

More information: www.anec.eu

Contact: Ayse SÜMER

Tel: +32(0)488 46 04 88     

Email: anec@anec.eu