Half of cheap Christmas decorations a ‘danger’

13 December 2004

BRUSSELS – Some 50 percent of low budget Christmas decorations sold in Belgium do not meet basic safety standards, it emerged on Monday.

Consumer watchdog Test-Achats tested 10 cheap decorations and found five had safety faults. It admitted its study had not been scientific, explaining it had selected only cheaper products on the basis they were more likely to be faulty.

What worried the organisation most was that the faulty decorations carried labels stating they met recognised safety standards.

Some were marked with the GS label, meaning the goods were tested in a laboratory, while others had a CE label, suggesting they were up to European standards.

They definitely shouldn’t be carrying any safety rating, said Test-Achats, which has alerted the authorities to the cases and has put advice for consumers on its website:
www.tests-achats.be

[Copyright Expatica 2004]

Subject: Belgian news