TY - JOUR PY - 1990// TI - A general duty to supply only safe goods in the community: Some remarks from a British perspective JO - Journal of consumer policy A1 - Weatherill, Stephen SP - 79 EP - 89 VL - 13 IS - 1 N2 - On 20 April 1989, the Commission issued COM (89) 162, which is a proposal for a Directive designed to establish a Community legal framework to guarantee product safety. Such a regime would have the dual aim of securing free trade while also maintaining effective consumer protection. This paper demonstrates the vital role which would be played by standards in such a framework and explains how Community law can prevent a Member State adopting a purely domestic approach to standards of safety and quality. The paper investigates the extent to which the United Kingdom's statutory general requirement to supply only safe goods, introduced in 1987, constitutes a model for a parallel Community initiative. The paper concludes by emphasising that the twin goals of free trade and consumer protection can only be achieved through a proper resource commitment to effective standards-making.

LA - SN - 0168-7034 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00411871 ID - ref1 ER -