BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
X-WR-CALNAME:2026internationalsymposium
X-WR-CALDESC:Event Calendar
METHOD:PUBLISH
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
PRODID:-//Sched.com 2026 International Symposium//EN
X-WR-TIMEZONE:UTC
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260908T163000Z
DTEND:20260908T200000Z
SUMMARY:European Commission Networking Dinner - Open to ICPHSO & IPSW Registered Attendees. Pre-Registration Required With European Commission (Limited Availability)
DESCRIPTION:ICPHSO attendees join IPSW attendees at Concert Noble for a Cocktail and Networking Dinner\, Limited space and Pre-Registration Required with the European Commission at: https://ec.europa.eu/safety-gate/#/screen/pages/safetyWeek2026
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:1d3bcc4c33f564be72c3c3fa3215b798
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/1d3bcc4c33f564be72c3c3fa3215b798
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260909T020001Z
DTEND:20260909T020001Z
SUMMARY:AGENDA SUBJECT TO CHANGE - CHECK BACK FOR UPDATES
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:84a2a7ed5abcbe792872cb01dfb180e6
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/84a2a7ed5abcbe792872cb01dfb180e6
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260909T120000Z
DTEND:20260909T121000Z
SUMMARY:ICPHSO Welcome and Opening
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:82e178e739c48a5fc023cbeb680e1fbb
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/82e178e739c48a5fc023cbeb680e1fbb
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260909T121000Z
DTEND:20260909T122000Z
SUMMARY:European Commission Welcome - Isabelle Pérignon\, Director
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:e460bd2d65ccc69f36c724ac6c358bd6
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/e460bd2d65ccc69f36c724ac6c358bd6
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260909T122000Z
DTEND:20260909T124000Z
SUMMARY:Keynote 1
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:3c2c754c914ebf5d38a40558253bace4
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/3c2c754c914ebf5d38a40558253bace4
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260909T124000Z
DTEND:20260909T132000Z
SUMMARY:Plenary 1 - From Compliance to Claims: Product Safety\, Enforcement and Liability Across the EU and US
DESCRIPTION:Companies operating across the EU and US face a changing product safety landscape shaped by e-commerce growth\, cross-border supply chains\, enforcement capacity constraints and evolving liability risks. This session will examine how EU and US authorities\, businesses and experts can advance a more coherent global baseline for product safety while supporting transatlantic trade. Through practical examples involving online sales\, imports\, recalls\, market surveillance and emerging technologies\, speakers will explore where EU and US approaches converge\, where they differ\, and what each jurisdiction can learn from the other. The discussion will also consider how current and future EU policy developments can strengthen consumer protection while preserving proportionality\, legal certainty and opportunities for businesses of all sizes.\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:2763e4f8856483fe53070d3cc9eb6ffc
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/2763e4f8856483fe53070d3cc9eb6ffc
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260909T132000Z
DTEND:20260909T133500Z
SUMMARY:Networking Break & Exhibits
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:c1f77e620d58b5b94b1b91cdb72986ea
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/c1f77e620d58b5b94b1b91cdb72986ea
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260909T133500Z
DTEND:20260909T135500Z
SUMMARY:Rapid 1 - Stopping the Burn but Continuing to Heat Things Up
DESCRIPTION:This panel session seeks to demonstrate what can be achieved when stakeholders from different backgrounds and with potentially separate goals / aims partner over an extended period of time and look to continue building on earlier successes in those partnerships. Using the Energizer / Reese’s Purpose partnership as a case study\, a manufacturer and consumer advocate will not only describe what it is like to create and maintain those relationships but look at how to get other stakeholders involved\, whether it is from an industry or regulatory platform and how to keep inspiring continued innovation and evolution of product safety measures without direct regulatory pressure.
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:fca746a6bbe43f4185c0bee400c4559a
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/fca746a6bbe43f4185c0bee400c4559a
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260909T135500Z
DTEND:20260909T141500Z
SUMMARY:Rapid 2 - You Think Your Products Are Safe… But Are Your Processes Ready to Prove It?
DESCRIPTION:Many product safety failures originate not in the product itself\, but in the organisational processes behind it: complaints are missed\, risks are not properly assessed\, products cannot be traced\, and corrective actions remain unclear.\n\nAs product safety legislation increasingly requires businesses to establish internal product safety procedures\, regulators face a growing challenge: how can they make complex regulatory expectations understandable and scalable in fast-moving global and e-commerce markets?\n\nThis session explores how the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) translated inspection logic into an anonymous self-inspection approach designed to help businesses reflect on product safety governance throughout the product lifecycle.\n\nUsing selected examples from the self-inspection approach\, the session will illustrate how product safety can look very different once the focus shifts from products to organisational processes.\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:a420b5fa1a7fb4c3291366e0c3344cf8
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/a420b5fa1a7fb4c3291366e0c3344cf8
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260909T141500Z
DTEND:20260909T145500Z
SUMMARY:Plenary 2 - 18 Trillion Reasons Why the UN Principles for Consumer Product Safety Apply to Your Product: Safe & Accessible Products for All Persons
DESCRIPTION:Why should access to safe products matter to you? Because the landmark UN Principles for Consumer Product Safety\, expressly declare that all persons have the right to safe products\, and thus\, the entire supply chain is accountable to this imperative\, even if in a non-signatory country. Skeptical? A few examples might pique your interest: 1.3 billion people\, globally\, could be your customers\, a population roughly the size of China. Together with their families\, they have about $18 Trillion in disposable income. 70% of people with access-limiting circumstances will not return to your business after receiving poor products/service. Over 60% of consumers will switch brands for better accessibility. No matter where you are on the supply chain\, you may be overlooking an enormous population\, and thus\, consumer safety\, loyalty\, revenue\, and compliance. You can't afford to miss this pathbreaking panel with Elliot Kaye\, Pinuccia Contino\, Tania Vandenberghe\, moderated by Belinda May.\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:2d8b42ec95595882e513b66667cdce0c
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/2d8b42ec95595882e513b66667cdce0c
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260909T145500Z
DTEND:20260909T150000Z
SUMMARY:End of Day Remarks
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:36b7946df05fa155aea9663ed751977c
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/36b7946df05fa155aea9663ed751977c
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260909T150000Z
DTEND:20260909T163000Z
SUMMARY:Reception
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:b25946e254840330fca95aa22d65289c
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/b25946e254840330fca95aa22d65289c
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260910T060000Z
DTEND:20260910T070000Z
SUMMARY:Breakfast & Registration
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:c94d62036e8b4d0cfd50ad18c4c21120
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/c94d62036e8b4d0cfd50ad18c4c21120
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260910T070000Z
DTEND:20260910T071000Z
SUMMARY:Opening Remarks
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:d20e178b2d9aeda45b84dba293adda05
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/d20e178b2d9aeda45b84dba293adda05
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260910T071000Z
DTEND:20260910T072500Z
SUMMARY:Keynote 2
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:645415947b15abb73bd8330a3f811606
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/645415947b15abb73bd8330a3f811606
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260910T072500Z
DTEND:20260910T081000Z
SUMMARY:Plenary 3 - International Regulator Panel
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:7b4088d8b2c30a9a933fc2b443b2fdce
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/7b4088d8b2c30a9a933fc2b443b2fdce
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260910T081000Z
DTEND:20260910T083000Z
SUMMARY:Rapid 3 - Microplastics as a consumer product hazard
DESCRIPTION:Microplastics is no longer just an issue for the environment. Clear evidence is emerging that release of micro and nano plastics from household and personal products is hazardous to human health. Public awareness is growing quickly\, yet it is not necessarily on the consumer product sector's radar. \n\nWith the prevalence of plastic\, consumer product manufacturers and sellers need to review all their merchandise for ways of minimising microplastic exposure. \n\nIt's a very widespread risk\, but consumers can reduce their exposure through good product choice. This requires consumer education and shifts in product design. \n\nThis session will demonstrate the nature of the hazard and flag measures to address the risk of exposure through consumer products.\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:13bef9a8f01b55f5a10d5514a030842c
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/13bef9a8f01b55f5a10d5514a030842c
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260910T083000Z
DTEND:20260910T085000Z
SUMMARY:Networking Break & Exhibits
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:d6d4bbc30370401cd37dc877a2ad4a6a
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/d6d4bbc30370401cd37dc877a2ad4a6a
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260910T085000Z
DTEND:20260910T093000Z
SUMMARY:Breakout 1 - Social Media/Gaming\, Behavioral Patterns\, and Risk Assessment: The Manufacturer's Obligations Under the New EU Product Liability Directive
DESCRIPTION:This ICPHSO panel examines how the EU Product Liability Directive (EU 2024/2853) reshapes manufacturer obligations for digital products\, including social media\, gaming\, and AI systems. The Directive broadens the concept of a “product” to include software and recognizes psychological and behavioral harm as relevant to defectiveness\, emphasizing that warnings alone cannot render a product safe. The session explores how specific design features may contribute to dependency-related behaviors\, particularly among adolescents\, and how such risks may be framed in litigation as foreseeable and design-driven. The panel highlights the role of human factors methods in identifying and assessing these risks\, linking scientific evidence on digital use patterns to product design decisions. It also addresses emerging litigation theories\, evidentiary considerations\, and how companies can develop defensible hazard assessment frameworks to evaluate risk\, document design intent\, and align safety practices with evolving legal expectations.\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:0d61ea9592af002a31abec0234da57a8
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/0d61ea9592af002a31abec0234da57a8
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260910T085000Z
DTEND:20260910T093000Z
SUMMARY:Breakout 2 - Advancing the Baseline: What Does Good Enforcement Really Look Like?
DESCRIPTION:Product safety enforcement is evolving rapidly across the globe. In the UK\, proposals for a new single enforcement toolkit and novel penalty regimes signal a step-change in regulatory ambition. In the EU\, moves towards centralised enforcement and tools such as the Customs Data Hub are reshaping the landscape for businesses operating across borders. Meanwhile\, at a global level\, important questions remain\, including: which current enforcement regimes work well and which don't\, do regulators have what they need or do we need new powers\, better funding\, more political support?\n\nThis session will bring together a range of representatives from regulator to business to consumer organisations to examine what effective enforcement looks like in practice. Interactive audience polling will ensure an engaging and lively exchange.\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:c6b66158cecb55518e7911c47c18771b
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/c6b66158cecb55518e7911c47c18771b
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260910T085000Z
DTEND:20260910T093000Z
SUMMARY:Breakout 3 - New Era for E-commerce Safety in Europe- Tackling the Retailer's Challenges
DESCRIPTION:The proposed panel will delve into safety challenges of non-food products placed on the EU market:\n1. How will the new EU Rapid Alert System impact manufacturers placing products onto the EU market?\n2. How can manufacturers comply and place safe electrical\, electronic and apparel products onto the market?\n3. Overview of product safety regulations\, standards and regulator’s expectations.\n4. Corrective measures.\n5. How will increased safety regulatory scrutiny support the Circular Economy.
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:42145c221412723377a650b2b9595a8e
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/42145c221412723377a650b2b9595a8e
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260910T093500Z
DTEND:20260910T101500Z
SUMMARY:Plenary 4 - Using AI Tools to Detect Unsafe Products Online: Emerging Approaches for Market Surveillance and Recall Effectiveness
DESCRIPTION:The rapid growth of e-commerce and online marketplaces has transformed the consumer product safety landscape. Unsafe and recalled products can now spread across borders rapidly\, reappear online after removal\, and evade traditional enforcement approaches. Regulators\, researchers\, and consumer organisations are increasingly exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) tools can help identify unsafe products online more quickly and effectively.\n\nThis session examines emerging initiatives using AI to support digital market surveillance\, online product monitoring\, and recall effectiveness. Speakers will discuss practical applications including web crawling\, image recognition\, automated risk detection\, identification of recalled products on online marketplaces\, and analysis of consumer complaints and safety alerts. The session will explore both the opportunities and limitations of AI tools\, including issues of accuracy\, governance\, transparency\, and international cooperation.\n\nAttendees will gain insight into how AI may help advance a more effective global baseline for consumer product safety in digital markets.
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:d653d2d919a6cbaa2d12d144962bdfa6
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/d653d2d919a6cbaa2d12d144962bdfa6
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260910T101500Z
DTEND:20260910T114500Z
SUMMARY:Lunch\, Networking & Exhibits
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:a2f736739a31a71507d1181d46642549
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/a2f736739a31a71507d1181d46642549
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260910T114500Z
DTEND:20260910T122500Z
SUMMARY:Breakout 4 - Velocity\, Volume\, Divergence: The New Geometry of Product Safety in an Age of Global Scale
DESCRIPTION:As global supply chains grow ever more complex and e-commerce enables the near-instantaneous distribution of goods across borders\, the systems that we rely upon to keep consumers safe face unprecedented challenges.\n\nThis panel brings together regulators and industry leaders to examine how scale simultaneously amplifies risk and creates opportunity: from data-driven risk assessment and AI-powered horizon scanning to the challenge of maintaining coherent oversight when millions of consumer products cross borders daily.\n \nRegulatory frameworks are proliferating — yet diverging — with the EU\, UK\, and US each pursuing distinct approaches to market surveillance\, online marketplace accountability\, and the integration of artificial intelligence into both manufacturing processes and enforcement tools.\n\nDelegates will leave with a sharper understanding of where international cooperation is advancing\, where critical gaps remain\, and how the profession must adapt to safeguard consumers in an era of extraordinary commercial velocity.\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:f778ce859de404aaf6f6393d8440796c
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/f778ce859de404aaf6f6393d8440796c
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260910T114500Z
DTEND:20260910T122500Z
SUMMARY:Breakout 5 - Online Marketplaces: Enabling e-commerce sellers to comply with EPR
DESCRIPTION:Online marketplaces have an important role to play to facilitate businesses that sell their products via their platform. Providers of online marketplaces must obtain details of certain public registers and self-certification of compliance under Article 30 of the Digital Services Act Regulation (EU) 2022/2065. The Batteries Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 and Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation (EU) 2025/40) clarifies that this includes Batteries and Packaging EPR registers and self-certified compliance with same. &nbsp\;\n\nSeparately the DSA contains further obligations for designing on online marketplace to enable sellers to comply with providing compliance information and carry out best efforts to assess this has been done. Compliance information could potentially extend to other environmental requirements. \n\nAt this session\, an expert panel will explore the EPR and other environmental requirements for distance sellers and the role of online marketplaces in facilitating compliance.\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:dc9f104496bef5b823c86e4a2cd2ffb4
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/dc9f104496bef5b823c86e4a2cd2ffb4
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260910T114500Z
DTEND:20260910T122500Z
SUMMARY:Breakout 6 - Stop Testing at the Dock. Start at the Design Table. The Voice of Suppliers and Manufacturers: Shifting Left in Quality and Product Safety
DESCRIPTION:The product safety industry has a timing problem. Most quality interventions happen too late — at finished goods inspection\, at the port\, or worse\, after a recall. This session makes the case for a fundamental shift: embedding safety thinking earlier\, at design\, material sourcing\, and supplier onboarding — before problems become expensive.\nBut shifting left only works if the burden doesn't simply transfer onto suppliers without the tools or visibility to act. Drawing on real supply chain data and AI-powered quality intelligence\, this session explores what genuine upstream safety looks like — from pre-production testing gates to supplier-led data collection and proactive risk identification. Attendees will leave with a framework for making product safety a design decision\, not a last-minute check.\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:e2ecf82fff58711106e447e2f605a518
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/e2ecf82fff58711106e447e2f605a518
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260910T123000Z
DTEND:20260910T131000Z
SUMMARY:Plenary 5 - Principles Without People Don’t Work
DESCRIPTION:The adoption of the UN Principles for Consumer Product Safety is a landmark moment. For the first time\, a global framework affirms every consumer’s right to safe\, non-hazardous products\, and places clear responsibility on businesses across the entire product lifecycle.\n\nBut principles do not act. People do.\n\nThe distance between a global safety framework and a safe product in a consumer’s hands is almost always a human distance\, a difficult conversation avoided\, a decision made too quickly under pressure\, a team culture that punishes challenge\, a leader who could not hold the room during a crisis. These are not failures of policy. They are failures of human behaviour. And no regulation\, however well-crafted\, can fully close them.\n\nThe question this session asks is not “do we have the right principles?\,” we do. The question is\, do we have the human conditions to make them work?\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:d18eab8059c4f34759d107c9416eb1de
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/d18eab8059c4f34759d107c9416eb1de
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260910T131000Z
DTEND:20260910T133000Z
SUMMARY:Networking Break & Exhibits
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:b125d849b56bd19144d3ae94157a4e7a
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/b125d849b56bd19144d3ae94157a4e7a
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260910T133000Z
DTEND:20260910T141000Z
SUMMARY:Breakout 7 - Can We Achieve a Global Baseline for Product Safety?
DESCRIPTION:The concept of a global baseline for product safety has long been discussed\, but recent developments are making it feel more real than ever. The UN Principles for Consumer Product Safety\, the EU's General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR)\, Digital Product Passports (DPP)\, and the U.S. CPSC e-Filing mandate all point toward a new era of connected product safety governance.\n\nBut are these systems truly converging? Or are businesses simply managing a growing set of interconnected yet still fragmented regulatory obligations?\n\nThrough interactive discussion and live audience polling\, this session brings together regulators\, industry practitioners\, and technical experts to move beyond regulatory summaries and focus on what implementation actually looks like — data governance\, supply chain traceability\, post-market surveillance\, and building scalable digital compliance systems that work across borders.
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:1197834a88f7d48e26d16c1a640efb2c
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/1197834a88f7d48e26d16c1a640efb2c
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260910T133000Z
DTEND:20260910T141000Z
SUMMARY:Breakout 8 - Promoting a Global Standard for Product Safety - From the global gap to effective implementation: towards a standard of good practices and an ombudsman model for product safety
DESCRIPTION:This session examines the persistent gap between globally recognized product safety risks and the uneven capacity to implement effective control measures across jurisdictions\, with particular attention to Latin America as a revealing context. Building on the recent adoption of the United Nations Principles for Consumer Product Safety\, it proposes the development of a voluntary global standard of good practices designed to translate high-level principles into operational\, verifiable actions by market actors.\n\nAt the core of the proposal is a certification-based framework\, complemented by a product safety ombudsman function and a cross-border dispute resolution mechanism\, all supported by a multi-stakeholder governance structure. Through an expert-led\, interactive discussion\, the session will explore how such an instrument could enhance compliance\, strengthen coordination among regulators\, industry\, and consumer organizations\, and ultimately improve consumer protection in increasingly interconnected markets.
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:c8eda3aace2b3ede1142811b89cd055c
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/c8eda3aace2b3ede1142811b89cd055c
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260910T133000Z
DTEND:20260910T141000Z
SUMMARY:Breakout 9 - Regulatory Uncertainty? No Excuse: Proactive Product Safety Strategies for a Borderless Global Marketplace
DESCRIPTION:The UN General Assembly’s landmark adoption of the first-ever UN Principles for Consumer Product Safety makes clear that businesses bear primary responsibility for product safety across the entire product lifecycle—not merely where a specific mandatory rule exists. Yet manufacturers and retailers operating in today’s global economy routinely face regulatory silence: no applicable standard\, no product-specific mandate\, or irreconcilable requirements across jurisdictions. This session confronts that challenge head-on. Drawing on expertise from various corners of industry—including labs\, global retail and consumer advocacy groups—panelists will explore how to identify sound scientific proxies in the absence of standards\; how to approach safety for emerging and unregulated technologies\; how multinational companies can navigate divergent regulatory regimes\; and why a proactive safety program is both a business imperative and a moral one. The goal: a practical framework for advancing safety even when the rulebook is less than clear.
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:1189e62fa8ca4c7274c7fdce36f474a8
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/1189e62fa8ca4c7274c7fdce36f474a8
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260910T141500Z
DTEND:20260910T142500Z
SUMMARY:Mentorship Program Reflections\, Takeaways and Certificate Presentation
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:3869e36a81ff6e5e891408eac2c80a78
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/3869e36a81ff6e5e891408eac2c80a78
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260910T142500Z
DTEND:20260910T144500Z
SUMMARY:Keynote 3
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:6969e32e033595e398651dfed7359ebc
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/6969e32e033595e398651dfed7359ebc
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233434Z
DTSTART:20260910T144500Z
DTEND:20260910T150000Z
SUMMARY:End of Day Remarks and Closing
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium
SEQUENCE:0
UID:9be204fe707eaf44e2459dc8adae7491
URL:http://2026internationalsymposium.sched.com/event/9be204fe707eaf44e2459dc8adae7491
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR