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July 2025

Lead story

ANEC celebrates its 30^th anniversary

 On 11 and 12 June 2025, ANEC both celebrated its 30th anniversary and held its 36th General Assembly meeting in Brussels, bringing together members, experts, partners and stakeholders to reflect on its achievements and look to the future.

#ANEC30 – Celebrating the Journey

The event on 11 June began with a welcome from ANEC President, Dermott Jewell. He presented the ANEC Annual Review 2024/2025 as a snapshot of the ANEC of today.
The audience warmly welcomed a keynote address from Anna Cavazzini MEP, Chair of the IMCO Committee, on the importance of consumer representation in standardisation, and ANEC’s record of achievements over its 30 years. Her address was followed by a summer’s afternoon “pool side” chat with the President and the ANEC Director-General, Stephen Russell.

A panel discussion, moderated by ANEC Deputy Director-General Chiara Giovannini, featured contributions from Elena Santiago (CEN-CENELEC), Martin Michelot (TIC Council), Maurits-Jan Prinz (DG GROW), Agustín Reyna (BEUC) and Lars Vogt (Toy Industries Europe). The discussion explored the effectiveness of current consumer protection frameworks in standardisation, the barriers to stronger consumer representation; and the steps needed to improve inclusiveness and consumer impact in future standards policy.
The ANEC Director-General concluded the session.

The day ended with a networking reception, including a video message from Commissioner Michael McGrath, and an address by EFTA Deputy Secretary-General Knut Hermansen. Both congratulated ANEC and its experts on some remarkable achievements throughout its history.

 36^th ANEC General Assembly meeting

The General Assembly on 12 June focused on governance matters, including the adoption of the 2024 accounts and the 2025 budget.
Following on from his presentation to the General Assembly of last year, Andrea Raffaelli from Small Business Standards (SBS) spoke on the recommendations from the EC High-Level Forum on Standardisation Workstream 3 on building inclusiveness at the national level.

The ANEC Secretariat team provided updates on current initiatives across ANEC’s areas of priority; previewed the forthcoming redesign of the ANEC website, and invited nominations for new experts.

ANEC also proudly unveiled “30 Testimonials to Celebrate 30 Years” - a special publication featuring reflections from individuals who have played a significant role in ANEC’s journey: from founding contributors to long-standing partners and supporters. We warmly thank all those who contributed for their continued support and collaboration.

Horizontal

In Memoriam of Benedicte Federspiel

It was with much sadness that we learnt of the passing of Benedicte on 26 June 2025, at the age of 83.

Benedicte was one the greats of the global consumer movement. In Denmark, she was the “go to” voice on consumer issues. She was a founding member of ANEC in 1995, and an ever-present member of the ANEC General Assembly and Steering Committee until her retirement in 2019. She served as ANEC President from 1996 to 2007, and ANEC Treasurer from 2007 to 2019.

Among the many other roles in which she championed the consumer interest over the years were President of the EC Consumers’ Consultative Committee (ECCG); Vice-President of BEUC; Treasurer of Consumers’ International; and Vice-President of the External Relations Section (REX) of the European & Economic Social Committee (EESC). She was also a leading light of the Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue. Of course, she was also the long-serving Director of the Danish Consumer Council, and the driving force behind the drafting or renewal of much consumer-related legislation in Denmark. In the Brussels Bubble, she was known as a “very effective and fearless lobbyist”. Indeed, it was not wise to cross swords with Benedicte(!).

We extend our deepest commiserations to Børge Dahl, Benedicte’s widower; her wider family, friends and colleagues. ANEC sent flowers to Benedicte’s funeral on 4 July, a gesture much appreciated by Børge.

Benedicte Federspiel (1941 to 2025). Requiescat in pace.

ISO/COPOLCO meeting, London, 19 to 23 May 2025

The British Standards Institution (BSI) hosted an excellent and varied meeting of the ISO Consumer Policy Committee (COPOLCO) in London during late May. The meeting featured sessions of the COPOLCO Working Groups; a joint event with BSI on “Protecting Consumers in the Age of AI” (see Digital Society below), and the COPOLCO plenary annual meeting.

President, Dermott Jewell, represented ANEC in the plenary meeting. In a common session with other Liaison Organizations to COPOLCO, he spoke on the commonalities and disparities between ANEC and COPOLCO, and how these should be factored into a more strategic discussion.

The week also saw a meeting between the COPOLCO leadership – led by Chair, Eunsook Moon – and ANEC, represented by the President; Director-General, Stephen Russell; and Deputy Director-General, Chiara Giovannini.

2025 EU Product Safety Award

In June, the European Commission launched the 2025 EU Product Safety Award application process.

The EU Product Safety Award encourages and honours innovative business initiatives and research that make a difference for consumers by going beyond their legal obligations for even better safety.

Who can apply?

Companies which:

• Are registered in one of the countries in the European Economic Area (EU Member States plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway).
• Submit an initiative that goes beyond the requirements laid down in EU legislation and the supporting standards and which aims to increase the safety of consumers (e.g. by improving the safety of products/shopping channels commonly used by consumers or awareness-raising initiatives focused on product safety risks etc.).
• Operate in line with internationally recognised Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) criteria.

Researchers who:

• Are nationals of one of the 30 countries in the European Economic Area or are affiliated to academic institutions based in the European Economic Area.
• Submit research findings which have significant implications for enhancing consumer product safety and which have been published or presented at an academic conference within the last 4 years.
• Are only affiliated to non-profit organisation(s) for the purpose of this research.

Interested candidates are invited to gather more information from the Product Safety Award webpage and to submit their applications by 31 August 2025. 

Further useful material for social media can be found on: LinkedIn, Facebook and X. 

All winners will be invited to an Award ceremony planned in Brussels at the end of 2025 and to benefit from widespread recognition for their contribution to product safety.

CASP2024 closes its actions

On 25 June, ANEC attended the closing event of CASP2024. CASP are Coordinated market surveillance Actions on the Safety of Products, funded by EC DG JUST.

In the framework of CASP 2024, national market surveillance authorities tested seven product categories: baby soothers and soother holders; high chairs; light chains; electric heaters; e-cigarettes; children’s bicycles; and slime toys. In 2024, ANEC submitted written comments before the start of these actions.

In addition, the CASP 2024 project included a Horizontal Activity on ‘Standardisation', focussing on exchanging experiences and best practices on what Member States Authorities (MSAs) usually do when they find themselves in the situation of assessing products that are not covered by any standard. This was done on the basis of 10 case studies. In 2024, ANEC contributed to proposals for the 10 case studies. We were pleased that two of our suggestions (handcarts and learning towers) were selected. During the closing event, ANEC Senior Manager Tania Vandenberghe participated in a panel dedicated to this Horizontal Activity.

Tania stressed the importance of market surveillance actions for consumer protection and applauded the horizontal activity on standardisation, as there are many products on the market that are not covered by any standard. It is therefore important for authorities to have a tool/methodology at their disposal to apply standards by analogy if they are confronted which such product. We hope that the deliverable of this activity, a handbook including the methodology and the 10 case studies, will also be useful for other stakeholders and for new standardisation work.

ANEC also attended the Ad hoc CASP Communication Meeting where examples of available assets (factsheets, social media visuals and copies) were presented, including the Final reports and reporting templates, as well as the media campaign in the six selected countries involving influencers alongside traditional media channels.

Consult the results of CASP2024.

Child Safety & Domestic Appliances 

Button batteries: awareness day

During the first half of June, ANEC again lent its support to the European Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) and EPBA, the European Portable Battery Association, in their campaign to raise awareness to consumers on the risk of button battery ingestion by children. We welcome 12 June now being identified as Button Battery Awareness Day and will continue to strive for standards to reduce children’s access to batteries contained in the product or its packaging.

During the first half of 2025, ANEC welcomed publication of the freely available UK PAS 7055:2025 ‘Button and coin batteries. Safety requirements. Specification’. PAS 7055:2025 is an updated version of the previous PAS and specifies safety requirements for button and coin batteries up to 32mm in diameter to mitigate the risk of ingestion and includes: labelling, instructions and packaging (including warnings); alignment of safety and health warnings; encouragement and facilitation of safe disposal and/or recycling; and product safety of typical consumer products using button and coin batteries, e.g. inclusion of warning text and requirements for secured battery compartments. During the CASP2024 closing event on 25 June, ANEC called for the PAS to become a European Standard.

 Check out the social media campaigns: https://tinyurl.com/mt5ydhpw; https://tinyurl.com/2zwr3ukz.

Accessibility

ANEC Factsheet: European Accessibility Act: What's New for Consumers? 

From 28 June 2025, common accessibility requirements for a range of products and services across the European Union became mandatory.

Since 2015, ANEC started to work for regulatory action to increase access to everyday products and services for consumers of all ages and abilities. After many years of lobbying, this proves a significant achievement for ANEC and the disability movement.

Read our factsheet about which products and services are covered and the related standards.

ANEC priorities for the EAA

ANEC was pleased to contribute as a speaker at the joint webinar organised by AccessibleEU on 20 June to present the consumer perspective on the European Accessibility Act (EAA) and discuss the challenges ahead of its application.

The webinar was made accessible through English captioning and International Sign interpretation.

As the EAA moves closer to its application date, the discussion addressed key questions, including which standards will support the Directive, when they will be ready, and how they will benefit consumers.

Chiara Giovannini, Senior Manager Policy & Innovation and ANEC Deputy Director-General, shared the consumer view on the EAA, and highlighted the importance of timely and effective standardisation to ensure the Directive does deliver for consumers. Fernando Machicado, Senior Expert on Standardisation at UNE and AccessibleEU, also contributed with insights into the standardisation process.

ANEC thanks AccessibleEU for having the opportunity to take part in this important discussion, ensuring the consumer voice is heard in the implementation of the European Accessibility Act.

Digital Society

ANEC comments on key standards for AI Act

ANEC has released draft comments on two critical standards being developed by CEN-CLC JTC 21 to support the EU Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act. The commentary targets draft standards on AI Risk Management and Quality Management Systems (QMS) for high-risk AI systems.

The draft AI Risk Management standard supports Article 9 of the AI Act. ANEC urges a stronger focus on fundamental rights, calling for clearer definitions of “reasonably foreseeable risks” and more robust, rights-based mitigation strategies.

The draft AI QMS standard aligns with Article 17 and outlines requirements for developers of high-risk AI. ANEC calls for clearer provisions on safety, transparency, traceability, and stronger internal oversight mechanisms.

With national delegations forming their positions ahead of the official comment deadline of 25 June, ANEC convened an ad hoc meeting on 10 June to align the civil society position and refine its final draft comments. Many stakeholders involved in the standardisation process have submitted similar proposals at the national level, aiming to influence the development of robust, human-centric standards.

The results of the ballot and the next steps, including comment resolution meetings and the preparation of the draft for the formal Enquiry stage, will be closely monitored by ANEC and its partners. ANEC’s work here is supported by the European AI and Society Fund.

AI for All?

At the BSI Standards Conference on “Protecting Consumers in the Age of AI” (part of ISO COPOLCO Week, 19-23 May 2025 in London), ANEC participated in the global panel “AI for All?”, addressing the urgent need for international solutions in AI governance.

Representing the European consumer voice, Chiara Giovannini, Deputy Director General of ANEC, emphasised that while AI legislation is advancing, it remains fragmented across countries. Standards can bridge this gap by delivering consistent, globally applicable practices, provided they are shaped by an effective consumer contribution.

Chiara stressed that safety, fairness, and inclusivity must be built in from the start and not added later. There are however ongoing challenges in AI standardisation, including delays and power imbalances led by the interventions of big-tech companies, but ANEC remains committed in promoting the consumer interest.

With stronger consumer representation, closer cooperation across sectors, and continued vigilance, ANEC believes AI can be shaped into being fair, safe, and truly serving everyone.

ANEC advocates Age-Inclusive AI

On 15 May, ANEC took part in the multi-stakeholder meeting, “Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for All Ages: Addressing Ageism”, organised in Brussels by Age Platform Europe and the WZB Berlin Social Science Center. The event convened leading voices from policy, industry, academia, and civil society to tackle how AI technologies reinforce ageism and how they must be redesigned to include and empower older people. Cezara Popovici, AI and Communication officer at ANEC, participated in the key panel discussion “Designing Age-Inclusive AI.”

In the panel discussion, Cezara highlighted the need for older people to be involved in shaping AI standards, not just hope to be protected by them. With ten harmonised standards currently being developed under the AI Act, ANEC is working to ensure that inclusiveness and fundamental rights are built in from the start. As co-chair of a dedicated task group on inclusiveness in JTC21, and through its AI Taskforce, ANEC is helping bring further underrepresented voices into standardisation.

Cezara also addressed the importance of strong certification systems backed by robust standards, ensuring that high-risk AI systems are trustworthy throughout their entire lifecycle. AI must reflect the diversity of real users, including age, gender, and disability and ensure the respect of consumer health, safety and fundamental rights.

Domestic Appliances

Chris Evans honoured

We warmly congratulate Chris Evans, our key expert on Domestic Appliances and representative in IEC TC 61, on receiving the prestigious IEC 1906 Award. This global award recognises exceptional contributions that have significantly advanced the work of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).

Chris’s journey in standardisation began in 1975, after identifying gaps in a lawnmower safety standard while testing products for Which?. This experience led him to attend his first standards meeting at BSI, beginning almost 50 years of commitment to consumer protection in standardisation.

His earliest work at IEC focused on the safety of power tools, which led to his first participation in IEC TC 61 meetings in the late 1980s. Since then, Chris, together with other representatives from Consumers International (CI) and ANEC, has been an active contributor to IEC TC 61, the committee responsible for developing almost every international safety standard for household electrical equipment.

The IEC 1906 Award recognises his decades of dedication to ensuring that these standards protect consumers effectively.

Ecodesign

More sustainable smartphones and tablets hit the market

Since 20 June, smartphones and tablets on the EU market have had to comply with Ecodesign and Energy Labelling rules. As a result, consumers will benefit from more sustainable products by design, as well as find it easier to choose the best performing models.

For the first time, an Energy Label will be available for both smartphones and tablets, containing information on their reliability and repairability. Below the colour-coded energy efficiency rating, the label shows material efficiency information, such as how long the battery lasts on a full charge; number of charging cycles before the battery starts to lose capacity, and a repair score.
ANEC, in collaboration with BEUC, has long advocated for more sustainable smartphones and tablets. Thanks to the new Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), similar material efficiency requirements will be introduced for more products. ANEC is involved in this legislative work through the Ecodesigned4LIFE project.

ANEC is also involved in standards supporting Ecodesign rules through the reaLIFEstandards project. For smartphones and tablets, the work is next at the standardisation level, and we are actively involved to defend the consumer interest in the development of these further standards to support the legislation.

Traffic & Mobility

Look Before You Lock!

in only a few minutes. Children can remain vulnerable even if windows are left slightly open.

Tragically, recent news from France and Spain highlights how serious this risk can be, following the heartbreaking loss of young children left in vehicles exposed to the sun. Another fatality has also occurred since in Spain. Just last month in the Netherlands, police had to break a window to rescue a baby accidentally locked inside a car. Thankfully, the child was unharmed. The police later reminded the public: “Do not leave children or animals in a car, not even for a few minutes.”

In 2024, 66 cases of hyperthermia were recorded across Europe.

ANEC has been working for many years to raise awareness and support safety improvements. Some of the latest car models now include child-detection systems that alert the driver - and, if needed, bystanders and emergency services - when a child is left in the vehicle.

We are contributing to set standardised safety requirements for such detection systems, with the aim of making them mandatory in all new cars in the future.

What You Can Do:

• Always check the back seat before locking your car.
• Never leave a child in the car - even for a short time.
• If you see a child alone in a vehicle, call the police immediately.

These simple actions can help prevent tragedies. You can also read more in ANEC’s flyer.

News from ANEC member countries

ANEC factsheet now available in Macedonian!

The North Macedonian consumer organisation, Organizacija na potrosuvacite na Makedonija (OPM), has translated the ANEC factsheet “European Accessibility Act: What’s New for Consumers?” into Macedonian.

This translation will help ensure that consumers in North Macedonia are better informed about how the European Accessibility Act (EAA) will improve access to key products and services for people with disabilities, older people and all consumers. The factsheet explains the main changes and benefits the EAA brings to consumers in clear and simple terms.

The Macedonian version of the factsheet is available both on the OPM website and the ANEC website. We thank our colleagues at OPM for their kindness in providing the translation.

Caption competition!

And now for something completely different. As this is the last edition of the Newsletter before the summer holidays, a caption competition. The best answer (in the opinion of the ANEC Director-General), sent to Cezara Popovici (cpo(at)anec.eu) before 31 August 2025, will win a small prize.

ECOS Executive Director, Justin Wilkes, has clearly non-plussed our Director-General, Stephen Russell, during the #ANEC30 cocktail. What did Justin say or do? Just for Fun. . .

By the way, Justin has kindly given permission for use of the photo.