LoginLandmark Product Safety Law Passed
The Product Regulation and Metrology (PRaM) Act has moved a step closer to implementation, placing new responsibilities on online marketplaces.
Journal of Trading Standards Staff
Posted 22 July 2025 | JoTS Online
Content Tags: Updates|Legal and Policy|National
Online marketplaces are set to face greater accountability for the products sold through their platforms under the new Product Regulation and Metrology (PRaM) Act, which was granted Royal Assent yesterday (21 July).
The legislation will boost enforcement powers to crack down on potentially dangerous products – including toys, e-bikes, e-scooters and other electrical goods – being sold on online marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay, which the Government says will ‘create a level playing field with bricks and mortar stores’.
However, consumer protection advocates have urged that forthcoming consultations on the legislation must be ‘bold, brave and robust’ if it is to be effective in protecting the public.
Online marketplaces must finally be held legally responsible for the safety of products sold through their platforms
CTSI has been among those calling for tighter rules for online marketplaces, with its ‘Mind the Gap Between the Chain and the Platform’ report identifying serious product safety failings in items sold by third-party traders on online platforms.
The Institute has worked with a range of partners, including charity Electrical Safety First (ESF) and the British Toy and Hobby Association (BTHA), to raise the issue with the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), highlighting the challenges facing enforcers when trying to remove dangerous goods from sale.
The Government said it intends to introduce new requirements, including a ‘proportionate regulatory framework’ for online marketplaces to update their responsibilities ‘at the earliest opportunity’.
Under the new legislation, online marketplaces will be expected to prevent unsafe products from being made available to consumers; ensure that sellers operating on their platform comply with product safety obligations; provide relevant information to consumers; and cooperate closely with regulators.
CTSI Chief Executive, John Herriman, said: “Alongside the coalition, which included the BTHA and ESF, we welcome the PRaM Bill gaining Royal Assent as a positive step forward in ensuring the UK maintains strong, modern protections for consumers.
“This legislation supports the vital work Trading Standards does in keeping unsafe and non-compliant products off the market, creating a fairer and safer trading environment for businesses and consumers alike.
“We look forward to working closely with Government and stakeholders to ensure that the laws that follow, after further consultation, are implemented effectively and contribute to a robust, future-facing regulatory system that will support economic growth in the UK.”
Lesley Rudd, chief executive of ESF, was among those who also welcomed the new legislation, but cautioned that there is still work to do to ensure that it is effective in protecting the public: “This legislation has the potential to transform our product safety laws, making them fit for the 21st century,” she said. “We now have an opportunity to address new and emerging product safety risks – particularly the threat posed by substandard e-bike batteries, which continue to cause ferocious fires across the country, and the ‘wild west’ of online shopping, where dangerous goods are relentlessly sold.
“Whilst we welcome the Bill’s enactment and the speed at which the Government has moved, the forthcoming consultations must be bold, brave and robust to effectively tackle the serious risks posed by substandard e-bike batteries and dangerous goods sold online. These batteries and modified devices continue to cause life-threatening fires, injuring and tragically, in some cases, killing people in their homes. Strong new rules are urgently needed to keep poor-quality batteries and accessories off the market. Online marketplaces must finally be held legally responsible for the safety of products sold through their platforms.”
Rocio Concha, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Which?, said: ”Which? has campaigned for years to hold online marketplaces to the same standards as high street retailers. For too long, consumers have been exposed to dangerous – and in some cases lethal – products. The PRaM Act has the potential to be a game-changer for consumer safety. It paves the way for new laws to clarify and strengthen responsibilities for online marketplaces, which is crucial in the fight against the sale of dangerous products online.
“Following the bill’s Royal Assent, the Government must act fast to tighten definitions of online marketplaces, introduce a clear duty so that online marketplaces are accountable for product safety, and empower regulators to issue heavy fines for those that fall short of the required standards.”
London Fire Brigade Deputy Commissioner Charlie Pugsley said: “London Fire Brigade sees one e-bike or e-scooter fire every two days and we have long called for regulation to improve product safety and safeguards on online marketplaces to protect people from buying dangerous products that pose a fire risk.
“We welcome this new piece of legislation, which will better regulate unsafe products being sold and help to protect the public from unsafe products and particularly poor quality or non-compliant lithium battery products, which can present unique fire safety challenges.”
The DBT said that the measures set out in the PRaM Act will ‘ensure clarity for the approximately 300,000 UK businesses operating in regulated product markets with a combined estimated turnover of £490bn’.
Product Safety Minister Justin Madders said: “By giving regulators the teeth to clamp down on unsafe products, we’re ensuring people can shop with confidence whether online or on the high street.
“This will establish a level playing field and mean online marketplaces are held to the same high standards as bricks and mortar shops, ensuring we back businesses and protect consumers as part of our Plan for Change.”
PLEASE NOTE: This content originally appeared on our standalone Journal of Trading Standards website (www.journaloftradingstandards.co.uk), which we are gradually migrating over to the Journal's new home on the CTSI website. Please bear with us while we complete this process. This will not affect the production of our Print Edition.
Share this Article: X|LinkedIn|Facebook
Content Tags: Updates|Legal and Policy|National
