BIC: Infringement procedures against the Netherlands, France and Germany reach final closure
24 Juli 2020 - 5:45PM
BIC: Infringement procedures against the Netherlands, France and
Germany reach final closure
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Infringement procedures against the
Netherlands, France and Germany reach final closure
Clichy, France – 24th July 2020 –BIC
regrets that the European Commission decided to close the
infringement procedures for lack of surveillance of non-compliant
lighters, initiated in 2012 by the European Commission against the
Netherlands, and filed by BIC in 2018 against France and
Germany.
Two-third of lighter models sold in Europe (most
of them imported) do not comply with the European safety standards
resulting in tens of thousands of serious accidents every year.
This decision undermines the effectiveness of the General Product
Safety Directive (GPSD). These procedures were aimed at addressing
the ineffectiveness of the market surveillance of lighters on the
European market. The larger issue of ineffective market
surveillance -beyond the lighter case - has been widely recognized
by the European Commission with its new European consumer safety
agenda, as well as by former Commissioners1 .
The pending reform of the GPSD is an opportunity
to establish an effective framework to better protect European
consumers, by precisely defining the obligations of Member States
regarding product surveillance, in order to ensure that only
compliant products2 can circulate in the EU Market. Relying on its
experience, BIC will make available to all interested stakeholders
the non-confidential documents provided during the infringement
procedures and, will make concrete proposals for a successful
reform.
As quality and safety are BIC’s number one
priority, BIC will remain a demanding and vigilant partner of
European and national institutions to ensure the safety of
consumers in Europe.
Appendix
Applicable Safety Standards:
- The ISO 9994 International Safety Standard introduced in
1989 is the basic safety standard. It outlines the most important
safety requirements for every lighter, including the maximum flame
height, drop resistance, resistance to high temperatures,
resistance to internal pressure and to continuous burning,
etc.
- EN 13869 Standard, known as the “child-resistant” Safety
Standard, encompasses the ISO 9994 standard in Europe. It requires
all pocket lighters sold in Europe to be effectively
child-resistant throughout the lighter’s shelf-life. A
child-resistant lighter is one for which the ignition has been made
deliberately difficult for a child. 85% of children under 51 months
old should not be able to ignite the lighter during testing.
- On 18 October 2018, BIC filed a
complaint with the European Commission for lack of surveillance of
non-compliant lighters in France and Germany. Read the Press
Release:
https://www.bicworld.com/sites/default/files/Press%20Release_BIC_18OCT2018.pdf
#
ABOUT BICBIC is a world leader in stationery, lighters,
and shavers. For more than 75 years, the Company has honored the
tradition of providing high-quality, affordable products to
consumers everywhere. Through this unwavering dedication, BIC has
become one of the most recognized brands and is a trademark
registered worldwide. Today, BIC products are sold in more than 160
countries around the world and feature iconic brands such as
Cello®, Conté®, BIC FlexTM, Lucky Stationery, Made For YOUTM,
Soleil®, Tipp-Ex®, Wite-Out® and more. In 2019, BIC Net Sales were
1,949.4 million euros. The Company is listed on “Euronext Paris,”
is part of the SBF120 and CAC Mid 60 indexes and is recognized for
its commitment to sustainable development and education. It
received an A- Leadership score from CDP. For more, visit
www.bicworld.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, or
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CONTACTS
Sophie Palliez-Capian – VP, Corporate Stakeholder
Engagement |
Investor Relations Contact: |
Press Contacts |
Sophie Palliez-Capian + 33 6 87 89 33 51
sophie.palliez@bicworld.com |
Albane
de La Tour d’Artaise + 33 7 85 88 19 48
Albane.DeLaTourDArtaise@bicworld.com |
|
Isabelle de Segonzac : + 33 6 89 87 61 39 isegonzac@image7.fr
Laurence Heilbronn: +33689876137 lheilbronn@image7.fr |
2020 AGENDA – ALL DATES TO BE CONFIRMED
First Half 2020 results |
July 29th, 2020 |
Conference call and Webcast |
Third Quarter 2020 results |
October 28th, 2020 |
Conference call and Webcast |
Full Year 2020 results |
February 17th, 2021 |
Meeting and webcast |
[1]Politico – 18-SEPT-2018 - 25 years of Single Market: Making
the Myth a Reality
2 ISO 9994 and EN 13869 safety standards, the reference of which
have been published, in the Official Journal of the EU
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