ABSTRACT
In the main, European Community policy has focused on the responsibilities of producers and others, such as importers, who actually bring goods to market within the Community. Designers could never be insulated from the effects of these changes since the design process is an integral part of product safety. In 1975 the European Community took its first major step forward in promoting product safety as part of a preliminary programme for a consumer protection and information policy. Product liability laws across Europe, by no means a straightforward field, were pinpointed by the European Council in the early 1970s as an area in need of attention. The European Con-vention on Product Liability emerged after several years of consideration by an expert committee. Any new product being introduced to the market must have undergone a process of technical and legal review for safety and compliance with legislative requirements.
