Product Liability Directive - The Directive

The Directive

Articles 1 to 12 create a scheme of strict product liability for damage arising from defective products. This liability is in addition to any existing rights that consumers enjoy under domestic law (article 13).

The directive does not extend to nuclear accidents, these being covered by existing international conventions (article 14). The original directive did not extend to game or primary agricultural produce (article 2) but this exception was repealed by directive 1999/34/EC following concerns over BSE.