Today, Members of the European Parliament’s Internal Market & Consumer Protection (IMCO) Committee adopted a report in support of a revision of the EU Toy Safety Directive. MEPs recognized that the EU’s strict toy safety framework is designed to ensure children enjoy the safest play experience possible and is widely regarded as a global benchmark
As policy makers turn their attention to revising the Toy Safety Directive, TIE wants to work with them to ensure that the new legislation continues to be a role model in enabling a wide choice of safe, affordable toys for children.
The revised Toy Safety Directive must continue to impose a rigorous scientific approach to the use of chemical substances in toys and we are happy to see the IMCO Committee underline this. Today a spoon from a toy tea set is subject to stricter requirements than a real spoon a child eats with. Such an approach also means avoiding policies that don’t serve to make a toy safer but nonetheless force it off the market or that only give an advantage to rogue traders who disregard the rules.
We agree that the revised Toy Safety Directive would be more effective if it has the status of a regulation. To be most successfully implemented, its scope should be clear and focused.
It is good to see the importance given to efficient market surveillance by the IMCO Committee. Almost all unsafe toys on the EU market come from dishonest traders who have no connection to the reputable sector. These dishonest traders need to be weeded out, which is why we particularly welcome the Committee’s ask to tackle non-compliant products sold directly to consumers from 3rd countries through online market places. The Committee also supports the use of the ‘know your business customer’ principle to increase compliance and traceability of toys sold online for those traders based in the EU, another important element.
