EU Toy Safety Regulation: EU Council adopts new toy safety rules

On October 13, the Council of the European Union approved the new EU Toy Safety Directive. The member states have now agreed upon the final text of the legislation. The next step is for the EU Parliament to approve the text, which should occur by the end of the year.

Compared to the previous Directive (2009/48/EC), the new rules are primarily intended to increase safety and transparency and improve traceability.

What It Means

Legislators hope to achieve greater safety through stricter requirements for substances. For example:

Chemicals classified as category 1 or 2 endocrine disruptors for human health under the CLP Regulation (EC) 1272/2008) may not be used in toys.
The use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in toys is prohibited – this applies to toys meant for children under 14 years of age. Electronic components essential for operation are exempt from the PFAS ban.
Substances classified as skin sensitizers of category 1A according to the CLP Regulation are also prohibited.

The digital product passport is intended to provide greater transparency with stored information about:

The manufacturer and/or importer
The chemical composition
Recyclability
Legal compliance (CE marking, for example)

Background

This additional information simplifies tracing individual batches and accelerates recalling them in the event of safety risks. The digital passport, which can be accessed with a QR code, reduces the workload for authorities and customs offices during inspections.

Consequences for Companies

Nonetheless, greater safety and transparency for consumers mean additional costs for manufacturers, importers, and distributors. They would be subject to increased documentation requirements (tests, CE conformity, and risk assessments), and additional material and chemical checks.

That’s why Austria abstained from the vote, believing that the additional costs for companies would be disproportionate to the benefits. The country does not see the measures resulting in any improvement in the level of protection and doubts the enforceability of the ban controls.

Protect your products in good time and ensure the necessary legal compliance. We will be happy to support you. Simply contact us at sales@kft.de.