EU consumer watchdog threatens to halt iPhone sales as explosive investigation continues

European regulators continue to examine claims of exploding iPhones in Europe, warning today that the product could be withdrawn from sale should investigators find proof the devices can be dangerous.

EU Commissioner for Consumer Protection Meglena Kuneva issued a warning today that iPhones will be pulled from store shelves if it turns out recent screen explosions are hardware-based problems.

The investigation is now in the hands of independent lab experts, who are working to discover if there’s a problem with the iPhone.

"I don’t need (Apple)’s permission to stop goods entering the market," Meglena Kuneva told reporters in Brussels. "If goods are dangerous, then we will order a recall."

"We are checking with labs to see if there is a problem with the phone, with their batteries or if there has been misuse of the device," she added Kuneva. "We need to have 100 percent certainty from one member state that these goods are dangerous.

"(But) if I receive from the French authorities information that they are dangerous, I will act in the interests of the consumer. I will ask my network for a recall of the product as we did with the Italian (Senseo) coffee machines. There, it was proven that they burned the hands of consumers."

Apple allegedly maintains the few reported incidents of exploding iPhones are freak incidents, arguing that users have caused the built-in lithium ion batteries to overheat.

The investigation continues.