Recommendation 15

Written evidence from Which? highlighted the increasing importance of international cooperation to support product safety in the UK, particularly in relation to information sharing and enforcement cooperation. Which? suggested that this be achieved through trade negotiations and international organisations such as the OECD and the UN Conference on Trade and Development.26 The Department told us that it sits on the OECD’s working group on consumer product safety and has close working relationships with its counterparts in the United States, in Australia and in Canada.27 The OPSS also recognised that it can learn from more established national regulators in other sectors to improve its effectiveness, particularly in the areas of understanding vulnerable consumers and measuring the impact of its work.28 25 Qq 22–23 26 Which? submission, page 4 27 Q 31 28 Qq 35, 59 12 Protecting consumers from unsafe products 2 Improving the regulatory system Gaps in the regulatory framework