Bun­desnet­za­gen­tur's sanc­tions af­fect mil­lions of prod­ucts

Year of issue 2024
Date of issue 2024.02.01

In 2023 the Bundesnetzagentur imposed sanctions on more than 8,100 different product types offered for sale online or by brick-and-mortar retailers, corresponding to over 73 million individual items. These products did not meet the legal requirements and in some cases had significant deficiencies. In 2022 the Bundesnetzagentur imposed sanctions on more than 8,200 product types, corresponding to a total of 16 million items.

"The number of products from non-EU countries that are unauthorised and present risks is continuing to rise. Last year we halted the sale of millions of non-compliant products on online marketplaces in cooperation with online platform operators. This is how we protect our consumers from unauthorised products," said Klaus Müller, President of the Bundesnetzagentur.

Market surveillance of products for sale online

In 2023 the Bundesnetzagentur detected more than 2,400 instances of non-compliant products being offered for sale online and had the offerings removed from the sales platforms. This involved over 64 million individual items, compared with over 13 million in 2022.

One reason this figure is so high is because there continues to be a large number of non-compliant products from non-EU countries. In 2023 the Bundesnetzagentur detected a large number of products for sale on new online platforms that it had already identified as being non-compliant in previous years. For instance, it detected around 260 offerings for deficient plug-in energy saving devices on online marketplaces, corresponding to a stock of more than 47 million items, and had the offerings removed.

Products that do not comply with the formal requirements, for example that do not have the required information about the economic operator responsible for the product or do not have the required CE marking, may not be offered for sale in Germany.

The online market surveillance activities also focused on checking hand-held radio remote controls. As a result, around one million offerings for such devices were removed because the devices operate in a band used for security-related military purposes.

Market surveillance in the German retail market

The Bundesnetzagentur carried out checks on nearly 3,000 product types offered for sale by brick-and-mortar retailers in Germany. It issued a total of 31 sales bans and 1,006 requests for corrective action for non-compliant products. This affected a total of more than eight million individual items.

The products included solar inverters that were non-compliant with the formal requirements and were found in tests to have technical deficiencies that in some cases presented high risks. The use of non-compliant inverters can cause interference in bands of spectrum used by the police, fire and emergency medical services.

The Bundesnetzagentur also made checks on smart plugs, which can potentially pose a danger to life and limb because of the risk of an electric shock from contact with live parts. The Bundesnetzagentur worked in cooperation with the economic operators responsible for the products to ensure that the products were withdrawn from the market and production was halted.

Cooperation with customs authorities

In 2023 the customs authorities submitted to the Bundesnetzagentur more than 5,100 reports of suspicious goods consignments. About 92% of the reported consignments, with a total of more than 860,000 individual items, were found to be deficient and were prohibited from entering the European market.

Close cooperation between the Bundesnetzagentur and the customs authorities ensures effective market surveillance. Non-compliant products can be identified, stopped at the border and prevented from entering the German market.

Advice for consumers buying products online

• Order online from reputable, well-known sources. Obtain information beforehand about the seller, for example from a consumer centre.
• Check if there is an address in the EU where you can contact the seller or the seller's partner. The address must be on the product or its packaging, on the parcel or in a document accompanying the product.
• Check that there are general terms and conditions as well as cancellation and return policies and instructions.
• Check the product description carefully. Check in particular whether there will be instructions in German.
• The price should be reasonable compared with competitors.
• If you are unsure, ask the seller questions about the product. Reputable sellers are glad to answer any questions quickly.
• Make sure that the plug is compatible for use in Germany.

Further information about the Bundesnetzagentur's market surveillance activities and detailed statistics from 2023 are available at www.bundesnetzagentur.de/marktueberwachung (in German).