CASP 2021, Coordinated activities on the safety of products : personal protective equipment : final report.
Date: 2023-03-29
Institutions: Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers
Subjects: EC conformity marking, market supervision, product safety, risk management, safety device, technical standard, testing

EN

Personal
protective
equipment

Final 
Report

Justice  
and Consumers

Table of contents

Table of contents  
List of abbreviations  
Executive summary  

Part 1
1. Overview of the activity  
1.1 Participating MSAs 
1.2 Product scope and testing criteria 

1.2.1 Product scope 
1.2.2 Testing criteria 
2. Sampling and testing  

2.1 Sampling distribution and channels  
2.2 Testing process  

3. Test results  

3.1 Overview of the test results and main findings  
3.2 Results per product type 
3.3 Results per retail channel 
3.4 Conclusions on the test results  

4. Risk assessment and measures  

4.1 Risk assessment results 
4.2 Corrective measures taken 

5. Conclusions and recommendations  

5.1 Conclusions  
5.2 Recommendations for stakeholders  

Part 2
1. What is CASP?  

Roles and responsibilities  

2. PSA work plan  
3. PSA tools and processes  

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List of abbreviations

ABBREVIATION 

DESCRIPTION

CASP
EEA
EISMEA
EN
EO
EU
DG JUST
GPSD
LED
MSA
PPE
PPE Regulation
PSA
RAG
RAPEX Guidelines 

Coordinated Activities on the Safety of Products
European Economic Area
European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
European Standard
Economic operator
European Union
Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers
General Product Safety Directive (2001/95/EC)
Light-emitting diode
Market surveillance authority
Personal protective equipment
Regulation (EU) 2016/425 on personal protective equipment
Product-specific activity
Risk Assessment Guidelines
Decision (EU) 2019/417 

2

 CASP2021 Final Report - Personal protective equipmentExecutive summary

Objectives of the activity
The Coordinated Activities on the Safety of Products (CASP) 
projects enable all the market surveillance authorities 
(MSAs) of European Union (EU)/European Economic Area 
(EEA) countries to cooperate in reinforcing the safety of 
products placed on the European Single Market. This activity 
focused on four categories of personal protective equipment 
(PPE). The products were sampled and tested following 
commonly agreed criteria in a single European laboratory 
selected by the participating MSAs.

Product scope
1.  helmets for pedal cyclists and for users of skateboards or 

roller skates (for both adults and children);

2.  children’s helmets for recreational activities in 

environments which have proven risks of head injuries in 
combination with risk of strangulation;

3.  visibility accessories for non-professional use with and 

without light-emitting diode (LED) lights;

4.  visibility clothing for non-professional use.

Main testing criteria
•   European Standard (EN) 1078:2012+A1:2021 – Helmets 
for pedal cyclists and for users of skateboards or roller 
skates;

•   EN 1080:2013 – Children’s helmets for recreational 
activities in environments which have proven risks of 
head injuries in combination with risk of strangulation;

•   EN 13356:2001 – Visibility accessories for non-

professional use;

•   EN 1150:1999 – Visibility clothing for non-professional use.

Results 
•  Number of products tested – 131: 

•  70 helmets for cycling, skateboarding and roller 

skating;

•  2 children’s helmets for recreational activities;

•  41 visibility accessories with and without LED lights;

•  18 items of visibility clothing;

•  A total of 91 (69%) samples met the testing 

requirements; 

•  A total of 40 (31%) samples did not meet at least one 

of the testing requirements; 

•  The visibility clothing product category had a 

considerably higher failure rate (61%) than the other 
product categories;

•  A total of 85% of the samples did not meet the 

requirements on warnings, markings and instructions.

3

Key recommendations
For consumers 
Only buy products that have a CE marking and are 
accompanied with instructions in your language.

Be careful, PPE only offers limited protection. It does not 
protect against accidents, it only reduces the probability of 
injuries occurring, or the severity of any injury sustained. 

Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations concerning how 
to fit and wear the product.

Report any safety problem identified when using a product 
and keep yourself informed about recall actions.

For economic operators (EOs)
Check if the PPE placed on the market complies with the 
requirements of Regulation (EU) 2016/425 (PPE Regulation). 
You can ask for further guidance from the Commission and 
your MSA.

A declaration of conformity should accompany each item 
of PPE, or a link to the web page containing this declaration 
should be included in the instructions for users.

Conclusions 
The category for which most samples did not meet the 
relevant requirements was visibility clothing. Users of PPE 
might be given a false sense of security when the products 
do not comply with the requirements of the applicable 
standards.

Risk assessments performed by the MSAs showed that 9 
samples presented a serious risk, 11 presented a high risk 
and 6 presented a medium risk.

Among the main measures taken regarding products that 
did not meet the requirements, 5 products were recalled 
from the market and 13 were withdrawn.

 CASP2021 Final Report - Personal protective equipment1. Overview of the activity
1.1 Participating MSAs
A total of 10 MSAs from 7 EU Member States and 2 EEA countries 
participated in the PPE product-specific activity (PSA),  
as illustrated in the image below.

COUNTRY 

MSA

Belgium
Croatia
Cyprus
Czechia
Finland
Germany 

Iceland
Lithuania
Norway 

Federal Public Service Economy - Directorate General Quality and Safety
State Inspectorate
Department of Labour Inspection
Czech Trade Inspection Authority
Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency
District Government of Düsseldorf
Government of Upper Bavaria - Trade Inspectorate 
The Housing and Construction Authority
State Consumer Rights Protection Authority
Norwegian Directorate for civil protection 

IS

NO

FI

LT

BE

DE

CZ

HR

4

CY

Part 1 - CASP2021 Final Report - Personal protective equipment1.2 Product scope and testing criteria

1.2.1 Product scope

HELMETS FOR PEDAL 
CYCLISTS AND FOR 
USERS OF SKATEBOARDS 
OR ROLLER SKATES 
(FOR BOTH ADULTS AND 
CHILDREN)

Helmets for pedal cyclists 
and users of skateboards or 
roller skates are designed 
to offer protection to the 
user’s head during impact 
with the ground after a fall. 
These helmets feature a  
shell, liners (softer pads on 
the inside), and a retention 
strap fitted along the lower 
jaw area.

CHILDREN’S HELMETS 
FOR RECREATIONAL 
ACTIVITIES IN 
ENVIRONMENTS WHICH 
HAVE PROVEN RISKS 
OF HEAD INJURIES IN 
COMBINATION WITH RISK 
OF STRANGULATION

Children’s helmets for 
recreational activities in 
environments that have 
proven risks of head injuries 
in combination with the 
risk of strangulation have 
a weaker retention system 
(always green) that releases 
on its own when a force 
greater than 90 Newtons is 
applied.

VISIBILITY ACCESSORIES 
WITH AND WITHOUT LED 
LIGHTS

VISIBILITY CLOTHING 
FOR NON-PROFESSIONAL 
USE

Visibility accessories 
increase the visibility of the 
users in settings with very 
low ambient lighting. Typical 
non-professional users of 
visibility accessories are 
cyclists, motorcyclists, 
pedestrians, runners, 
school-children, horse 
riders, etc.

Visibility vests are intended 
to signal the user’s 
presence visually in any 
daylight condition and, 
when illuminated by vehicle 
headlights, search lights 
or street-lamps, in the 
dark. Visibility vests in the 
scope of this activity were 
warning vests for adults 
and children not intended 
for professional use, in 
the fluorescent colours 
specified by the standard 
(green, yellow-green, yellow, 
yellow-orange, orange, 
orange-red, red and pink).

5

Part 1 - CASP2021 Final Report - Personal protective equipmentIn addition to the laboratory testing, the MSAs also checked the 
accompanying warnings, markings and instructions in their own 
languages. 

1.2.2 Testing criteria

The final testing plan, commented and approved by the MSAs, is 
summarised below. 

•   EN 1078:2012+A1:2021 – Helmets for pedal cyclists and 
for users of skateboards or roller skates: shock absorbing 
capacity, strength, effectiveness, lateral/rotational tests.

•   EN 1080:2013 – Impact protection helmets for young 

children: shock absorbing capacity, release force affecting 
the retention system, colour, lateral/rotational tests.

•   EN 13356:2001 – Visibility accessories for non-professional 
use: general requirements (minimum area of retroreflective 
material), photometric requirements for new samples for 
observation and entrance angles, and LED tests (luminance 
and colour of LED light).

•   EN 1150:1999 – Visibility clothing for non-professional use: 
minimum area of background and retroreflective materials, 
chromaticity coordinates and luminance factors for new 
background materials and materials exposed to ultraviolet 
radiation.

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Part 1 - CASP2021 Final Report - Personal protective equipment2. Sampling and testing 
2.1 Sampling distribution and channels

The sampling was carried out on the basis of a pre-selection by 
each of the MSAs, in line with the peculiarities of each market.

The MSAs decided how to distribute the total number of 
samples available between the four product categories and 
whether to sample products from all product categories or not. 
The samples were collected both online and in physical shops.

The MSAs collected 131 samples and sent them to the 
laboratory for testing:

•   70 helmets (adult and children’s) for pedal cyclists and users 

of skateboards or roller skates;

•   2 children’s helmets for recreational activities with risk of 

strangulation;

•   41 visibility accessories;

•   18 items of visibility clothing.

Children’s 
helmets for 
recrea-
tional 
activities 
with risk of 
strangula-
tion

Helmets 
(adult and 
children’s) 
for pedal 
cyclists 
and users 
of skate-
boards 
or roller 
skates

Table 1 - Sampling distribution

Visibility 
accessories

Visibility 
clothing

Total

15 

7

6

10

12

21

13 

16

19

12

1 

0

0

0

0

4

1 

4

5

3

3 

0

0

0

12

7

5 

5

6

3

41 

18 

131 

0 

0

0

0

0

0

0 

0

0

2

2 

COUNTRY 

MSA

Belgium 

Croatia

Cyprus

Czechia

Finland

Federal Public Service Economy – Directorate 
General Quality and Safety

State Inspectorate

Department of Labour Inspection

Czech Trade Inspection Authority

Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency 

Germany 

District Government of Düsseldorf

Government of Upper Bavaria – Trade 
Inspectorate

Housing and Construction Authority

State Consumer Rights Protection Authority

Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection

Iceland

Lithuania

Norway

11 

7

6

10

0

10

7 

7

8

4

Total

70 

The MSAs chose their preferred sampling channels and collected 
the products both online and from physical shops. The majority 
of samples (67%) were collected in physical shops.

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Part 1 - CASP2021 Final Report - Personal protective equipment 
2.2 Testing process

Thanks to extensive desk research, 57 accredited laboratories 
located in the EU and EEA were identified. The project team 
prepared tender specifications and invited the laboratories 
to submit offers. The MSAs were presented with comparative 
analyses of the technical suitability and the financial offers 
of the nine laboratories that answered the call. The MSAs 
selected the laboratory that received the highest points in 
terms of technical quality; it had the accreditation and capacity 
needed to perform all the requested tests and the pricing was 
competitive.

The MSAs had 2.5 months to collect the samples and send 
them to the laboratory. The testing process was completed 
on 9 December; the laboratory meeting took place on 7 and 8 
December 2021 (in a hybrid format1).  

2021

July

August

September

October

November

December

January

Figure 1 - Timeline of the sampling and testing process

2022

20 July 
Official 
start of the 
sampling 
process

Testing process

Sampling process

7-8 
December 
Laboratory 
meeting

30 September 
Deadline for the 
delivery of the 
samples to the 
laboratory

9 December 
Delivery of 
the last test 
reports

9 December  
End of the 
testing 
activities

1 Members of the Contractor’s team and the representatives from the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers (DG JUST) were present at the laboratory’s premises with the 
audio-visual team, while the MSAs joined the meeting via Zoom.

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Part 1 - CASP2021 Final Report - Personal protective equipment3. Test results
3.1 Overview of the test results and main findings
A total of 91 out of the 131 samples tested by the laboratory met all the requirements defined in the 
final testing plan, as shown in the graph below. The remaining 40 samples did not meet at least one of 
the requirements.

Figure 2  
Overall test results (N=131)

Figure 3  
Results of the warnings, markings and instructions checks (N=131)

2

39

18

17

53

1

1

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0

Helmets 
for pedal 
cyclists and 
for users of 
skateboards 
or roller 
skates

Visibility 
accessories

Visibility 
clothing

Children’s 
helmets for 
recreational 
activities 
with risk of 
strangulation

31%

69%

Met the  
requirements

Did not meet  
the requirements

The MSAs performed checks on warnings, markings and 
instructions in their national languages: 85% of the samples did 
not meet the requirements. 

3.2 Results per product type

Figure 4  
Test results per product category (N=131)

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

9

54

16

2

Children’s 
helmets for 
recreational 
activities 
with risk of 
strangulation

Helmets 
for pedal 
cyclists and 
for users of 
skateboards 
or roller 
skates

28

13

7

11

Visibility 
accessories

Visibility 
clothing

Met the  
requirements

Did not meet  
the requirements

Part 1 - CASP2021 Final Report - Personal protective equipmentThe product category with the most samples that did not meet 
at least one of the requirements of the testing protocol was 
visibility clothing (61%), followed by visibility accessories (32%) 
and helmets for pedal cyclists and users of skateboards or 
roller skates (23%). All the 14 samples with LED lights that were 
tested met the requirements.

The test results per clause for each product category are 
illustrated in the graphs below.

Figure 5 - Test results per clause: EN 1078:2012+A1:2021 –  
Helmets for pedal cyclists and for users of skateboards or roller 
skates; and lateral test results

4.4 Shock absorbing capacity

4.6.5 Strength

4.6.6 Effectiveness

Lateral/rotational tests for helmets for pedal cyclists and for users  
of skateboards or roller skates

Met the  
requirements

Did not meet the 
requirements 

Test not performed  
(not requested)

59 

65 

65 

49 

11 

5 

5 

1 

20

0 

10  

20 

30 

40 

50 

60 

70 

80

Figure 6 - Test results per clause: EN 1080:2013 –  
Children’s helmet for recreational activities with risk of strangulation; 
and lateral/rotational test results

4.4 Shock absorbing capacity

4.6.2 Release force for retention system

4.6.3 Colour 

Lateral/rotational tests for children’s helmets for recreational activities  
with risk of strangulation

0 

2

2

2

2

1 

Figure 7 - Test results per clause:  EN 13356:2001 –  
Visibility accessories; and LED lights test results 

4.1 General requirements 

4.2.2 Photometric requirements

33 

30 

8 

11 

Luminance and colour of LED light

14 

27

Met the  
requirements

2

Met the  
requirements

Did not meet the 
requirements 

Test not performed  
(not requested)

0 

5 

10 

15 

20 

25 

30 

35 

40 

45

Figure 8 - Test results per clause: EN 1150:1999 – Visibility clothing

Met the  
requirements

Did not meet the 
requirements 

4.1 Minimal area of background and retroreflective materials

8 

10

5.2.1 Colour of the background material and the material  
with combined properties in a new state

5.2.2 Colour of the background material and the material  
with combined properties after xenon lamp irradiation

16 

15 

2

3

0 

5 

10 

15 

20

10

Part 1 - CASP2021 Final Report - Personal protective equipment 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3.3 Results per retail channel
The testing revealed no differences between the products sampled from the different retail channels.

3.4 Conclusions on the test results
The results of the tests performed show that more than 
25% of the products tested in this activity have safety 
issues, not only in relation to improper markings and 
incorrect or insufficient information but also regarding 
key safety failures identified using the test parameters.
The results of the laboratory tests showed that 40 
out of the 131 tested products (31%) did not fulfil at 
least one of the essential safety requirements set out 
in the harmonised standards (e.g. regarding the shock 
absorbing capacity of helmets or the visibility levels of 
visibility clothing and accessories).

Visibility clothing
The results of the tests for visibility clothing for non-professional 
users showed that 11 out of the 18 samples collected (61%) 
did not meet the relevant requirements. The main reason 
was that the area covered by the background material or the 
retroreflective material was too small.

Visibility accessories
The results of the tests for visibility accessories showed that 13 
out of the 41 collected samples (31%) did not meet the relevant 
requirements. All the 14 samples with LED lights that were 
tested met the requirements of the testing protocol established 
by the laboratory (regarding colour and luminance).

Helmets for cycling/skateboarding/roller 
skating (for both adults and children) 
and helmets for young children intended 
for use during recreational activities in 
environments that have been proven to 
pose risks of head injuries in combination 
with strangulation 
The results of the tests showed that 16 of the helmets (for both 
adults and children) out of the 70 samples collected (23%) did 
not meet the essential safety requirements. The results of the 
tests on children’s helmets are particularly concerning due to the 
greater likelihood of accidents for this age group and the severity 
of head injuries. 

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Part 1 - CASP2021 Final Report - Personal protective equipment4. Risk assessment and measures
4.1 Risk assessment results

According to the PPE Regulation2, PPE shall only be made 
available on the market if, when properly maintained and used 
for its intended purpose, it complies with this Regulation and 
does not endanger the health or safety of persons, domestic 
animals, or property. When assessing whether a product poses 
a risk, the approach must be based on Decision (EU) 2019/4173 
(the RAPEX Guidelines). To develop the risk assessments, the 
MSAs used the Risk Assessment Guidelines (RAG) tool4 managed 
by the European Commission. 

Figure 9 shows the risk levels (based on the risk assessments 
performed by the MSAs) of the samples that did not meet the 
requirements.

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

4.2 Corrective measures taken 

Based on the test results and the risk assessments performed, 
the MSAs decide which corrective measures have to be taken 
regarding the products that do not comply with EU legislation 
and/or the applicable standards designed to stop dangerous 
products from appearing on the Single Market.  
Figure 10 illustrates the main measures taken.

Furthermore, when a serious risk is identified, MSAs are legally 
obliged to submit a notification in Safety Gate (pursuant 
to Article 12.1 of the GPSD). The RAPEX Guidelines5 also 
recommend submitting notifications on measures taken against 
products posing a less than serious risk.

Following the actions triggered by the joint testing campaign, 
as of 1 April 2022, three products were subject to Safety Gate 
notifications and notifications for another five products are 
pending.

Figure 9 
Overview of risk level of tested samples (N=112)

38

32

16

9

11

6

Serious

High

Medium

Low

No risk

Not  
reported

Figure 10 
Measures taken for products tested within this PSA 
(N=112)

5

13

50

14

6

1

9

8

6

Recall of the product 
from end users

Withdrawal of the product  
from the market

Stop of sales 

Removal of the product 
listing by the online 
marketplace / webshop 

Temporary ban on the supply

Asking the EO to change /  
improve the product

Asking the EO to mark the 
product with appropriate 
warnings 

Other (including request, 
supply and correction of PPE 
documentation)

Not reported

2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32016R0425
3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32019D0417&from=EN
4 https://ec.europa.eu/rag/#/screen/home
5 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=LEGISSUM%3A4390682

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Part 1 - CASP2021 Final Report - Personal protective equipment 
 
5. Conclusions and recommendations
5.1 Conclusions

A total of 31% of the samples tested did not meet the requirements 
of the applicable standards. A much higher number of samples of 
visibility clothing did not meet the relevant requirements (61%) 
compared to the other product categories. 

There is a large amount of PPE on the EU market that does not meet 
the requirements regarding warnings, markings and instructions.

MSAs issued three Safety Gate notifications based on the outcome 
of this PSA (another five notifications are pending) and asked the 
economic operators to stop selling the products that were assessed 
as posing a serious, high or medium risk, recall or withdraw them 
from the market, and remove the relevant listings on online market 
places/web shops. 

Manufacturers should improve their products in order to protect EU 
consumers from PPE that does not meet the relevant requirements 
and could give a false sense of security to users. 

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Part 1 - CASP2021 Final Report - Personal protective equipment5.2 Recommendations for stakeholders
The following recommendations are based on the outcomes of the testing process and discussions 
among MSAs during the project.  

For standardisation organisations  
LED testing. Many visibility accessories available to 
consumers contain LED lights. However, there are no 
standards that deal with this type of product. The standard 
for visibility accessories (EN 13356) should be revised to 
include requirements for LED lights, or a new standard 
should be developed. 

For European and national authorities
Keep PPE under surveillance. In light of the large number 
of samples that did not meet the requirements of the 
laboratory tests or failed the checks on warnings, markings 
and instructions, PPE should be kept under surveillance and 
economic operators should be provided with guidance on the 
relevant documentary requirements. 

The reference to the standard given in the declaration 
of conformity must correspond to the scope of 
the product’s application. If the standard used by 
the manufacturer to assess the product’s conformity 
(certification) does not match the scope of the product’s 
application, to assess the safety of the product for 
consumers, MSAs shall perform tests against the standard 
designed to govern the declared purpose of use.

Harmonised guidelines for visibility accessories. 
Harmonised guidelines are required for the classification of 
visibility products made of reflective/fluorescent material 
and/or LEDs in order to establish a common understanding 
about which kind of products are PPE and which are not.

For consumers
Warnings, markings and instructions. Only buy 
products with a CE Mark and pay particular attention to the 
accompanying warnings and markings. These should be 
available in the national languages of the country of sale. 

Use of products. Read the instructions supplied with the 
PPE carefully so the product can be used safely. PPE only 
offers limited protection. It does not fully protect against 
accidents, but it reduces the probability of injuries occurring, 
or the severity of any injury sustained. 

Recalls and reporting safety problems. Be aware of 
where information about recalled products can be found and 
react when you are contacted as part of a recall. Check for 
updates regularly in the Safety Gate system (which contains 
information on recalled or banned products). Stop using a 
recalled product immediately and follow recall instructions. 
Any safety issue identified should always be reported to the 
relevant MSA as well as the manufacturer or retailer. 

For EOs
The declaration of conformity must be available for 
each item of PPE. All PPE must meet the essential health 
and safety requirements set out in the PPE Regulation 
(by being tested against the harmonised standard that 
corresponds to the purpose of use declared by the 
manufacturer). If guidance is needed, the Commission and 
the MSAs are available.

Check that your products are not counterfeit. As a 
responsible business, you should take the time needed to 
verify that the products you supply are not counterfeit. You 
must check the markings and the declaration of conformity 
to verify that they meet the European safety requirements 
for the product. The PPE must carry the CE Mark. The CE 
Mark indicates that the EU-type examination procedure has 
been performed and that the product meets the essential 
health and safety requirements. In addition, all PPE should 
be marked with the manufacturer’s name and address, type, 
model or serial number and batch number so that it can be 
properly identified. 

Recalls. Clearly communicate with consumers on how they 
should register the products they purchase so they will 
receive information about recall actions. Make recall notices 
clear and accessible, and always indicate the hazards posed 
by the product. Regularly monitor the impact of a recall and 
adjust the strategy accordingly. 

14

Part 1 - CASP2021 Final Report - Personal protective equipment1. What is CASP?
1 What is CASP?
The Coordinated Activities on the Safety of Products (CASP) enable Market 
Surveillance Authorities (MSAs) from EU/EEA countries to cooperate and to 
reinforce the safety of products placed on the Single Market. 

Product-specific activities (PSAs) 
test different types of products that may 
pose a risk to consumers. The products 
are selected and collected by the MSAs 
involved and are examined using a 
commonly agreed testing plan.

Horizontal activities (HAs) provide a 
forum for MSAs to exchange ideas and 
best practices. Under the guidance of a 
technical expert, they develop common 
approaches, procedures and practical 
tools for market surveillance.

Hybrid activities facilitate horizontal 
discussions and conduct testing 
campaigns. The results are used to 
develop common approaches and 
methodologies. 

CASP 2021 includes five PSAs, three HAs and one hybrid activity. They were pre-selected by 
the participating MSAs through a consultation organised by DG JUST.

Product-specific activities (PSAs) 

Toys from  
non-EU webshops

Electric toys

Reclined cradles  
and baby swings

E-cigarettes  
and liquids

Personal protective 
equipment

Dangerous  
counterfeit products

Hybrid activity

Horizontal activities (HAs) 

Online market  
surveillance

Risk assessment and 
management 

Crisis preparedness 
and management

Roles and responsibilities

EISMEA
• The contracting authority – manages the administrative 
relationship with the contractor on behalf of DG JUST
• Monitors and approves all contractual deliverables

Contractor EY/Pracsis
• Coordinates the implementation 
and organisation of the activities
• Provides technical & logistical 
background
• Responsible for reporting, 
communication and the 
dissemination of the outcomes

Market Surveillance  
Authorities of EU/EEA  
Member States

DG JUST
• Oversees the planning and 
execution of the CASP projects
• Ensures operational leadership, 
management and successful 
implementation
• Supports the participating MSAs 
by providing guidance

Technical expert (one per PSA)
• Provides technical advice and guidance to MSAs
• Helps with drafting the sampling and testing plan  
and selecting the most suitable laboratory
• Analyses results, helps with assessing the identified  
risks and proposes recommendations

15

Part 2 - CASP2021 Final Report2. PSA work plan 

2021

2022

Jan 

Feb  Mar  Apr  May  Jun 

Jul 

Aug  Sep  Oct  Nov  Dec 

Jan 

Feb  Mar  Apr  May  Jun 

Jul 

Aug

Opening 
event

Intermediate  
meetings (IMs)

Final  
meetings

Closing 
event

Kick-off 
meetings

Laboratory 
meetings

Continuous internal communication via the Wiki Confluence platform

INCEPTION

SAMPLING AND TESTING

REPORTING

Desk research 

Laboratory tendering process 

Risk assessment 

EXTERNAL  
COMMS

Development of a 
comms toolkit

Scoping interviews 

Laboratory selection and contracting 

Coordination of 
measures adopted by 
MSAs

Development of 
communication 
messages

Draft testing and 
sampling plan 

Sampling and transportation 

Drafting of final reports 

Launch of 
communications 
campaign

Laboratory mapping 

Testing process and test reports 

Disposal or return of 
samples to MSAs 

Assessing the 
impact 

16

Part 2 - CASP2021 Final Report 
 
 
 
 
 
3. PSA Tools & processes

0

1

2

Pre-CASP process
DG JUST conducts a priority-setting  
exercise to select the product categories.  
The five CASP 2021 product categories  
were selected by the participating MSAs 
through a consultation organised by  
DG JUST.

Validation of  
the testing and 
sampling plans
The technical experts draft 
the plans based on MSA  
feedback and the available 
budget. The drafts are  
presented at the KoMs,  
then finetuned and validated 
by the MSAs via the Wiki.

Laboratory selection 
The contractor’s team  
maps the laboratories and 
contacts them to collect  
prices and other information. 
The tendering process is 
launched after the KoM,  
and the offers are evaluated. 
During the intermediate 
meetings, the participating 
MSAs decide which laboratory 
to select.

6

5

4

3

Upload scenarios  
to the RAG tool
The scenarios developed 
during the project are  
uploaded to the RAG tool.

Risk assessment
The technical expert and 
the MSAs develop scenarios 
based on selected samples 
during the laboratory meeting 
and analyse the risks. MSAs 
perform risk assessments  
on all samples that do not 
meet legal requirements. 

Testing and delivery 
of test reports
The laboratory tests the  
samples according to the 
agreed testing plan and  
uploads the test reports  
to the Wiki. The MSAs ask  
for clarification if necessary, 
and approve the reports. 

Collection and  
transportation  
of samples
The MSAs collect the relevant 
samples from their national 
markets and register them  
in a codification file. After  
performing preliminary 
checks, the MSAs send the 
samples to the laboratory.

7

8

Measures adopted  
by the MSAs
The MSAs take appropriate  
measures on the products  
in question and report them  
on Safety Gate.

External  
communications 
The external communication 
activities are launched at  
the closing event. This marks 
the start of a 2–3-week pan- 
European communications 
campaign.

Channels 
The communication material 
is disseminated using:

•   The Safety Gate website

•   The EC CASP website

•   DG JUST social media

•   MSAs’ national 

communication channels

•   Relevant press and other 

stakeholders

Tools 
Audio-visual clips 
addressed to consumers and a 
general audience are produced 
for each PSA, the hybrid 
activity, and the overall CASP 
2021 project.  
Infographics addressed 
to economic operators are 
developed for the CASP 2021 
project, for each PSA and for 
the hybrid activity.  
Final reports are produced 
for each activity and for the 
CASP 2021 project. They are 
translated into all official EU 
languages plus Norwegian and 
Icelandic.

17

Part 2 - CASP2021 Final ReportEUROPEAN COMMISSION 
Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers 
Directorate Consumers 
Unit E.4 Product Safety and Rapid Alert System 
Email: JUST-RAPEX@ec.europa.eu

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For any use or reproduction of elements that are not owned by the European Union, permission may need to be sought directly from the 
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Information about the European Union in all the official languages of the EU is available on the Europa website at:
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Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2022
PDF 

ISBN 978-92-76-51776-4   doi:10.2838/711118   DS-09-22-156-EN-N

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