Announcing product recalls
All companies in a supply chain, including online marketplace providers, are obliged to take action if a product poses a risk. The company must communicate the recall to distributors, consumers who have purchased the product and other end users.
The recall notice must include:
- A clear description of the recalled product. The description includes the following information:
- picture, name and brand of the product
- product identification numbers, such as the batch or serial number, and, where applicable, a graphical representation of where they can be found on the product
- when, where and by whom the product was sold
- A clear description of the risk associated with the recalled product. The recall notice must not include expressions that may reduce or downplay consumers' perception of the risk, such as 'voluntary', 'precautionary measure', 'discretionary', 'in rare situations' or 'in certain situations', or a statement that no accidents have come to light.
- A clear description of the actions that consumers must take and the instruction to immediately stop using the recalled product.
- A clear description of the remedies offered to consumers. In general, consumers must be offered at least two remedies. These can include 1. repairing the product, 2. replacing the product with another product or 3. crediting the purchase price. The amount of the credit is at least equal to the price paid by the consumer.
- The consumer does not have to pay the shipping or return costs of the product. When products are not easily movable, the company must arrange for the retrieval of the product.
The information must be provided with a notice following the recall notice template in the valid version of Regulation Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1435. The information must be accessible to persons with disabilities.
The Commission has published Word templates for the recall notice in Finnish and in Swedish.
Note: The above notice templates are in line with the Implementing Regulation updated on 24 July 2024. The company must check that the notice template used complies with the up-to-date legislation and is accessible.
Information about the recall must be provided at least in Finnish and Swedish. Recalls carried out in other EU Member States must be conducted in the language(s) of that Member State.
If a company has received a mandatory recall decision from an authority, the company must also comply with the information-sharing provisions of that decision.
