Brussels, April 16, 2025. The European Commission’s latest Safety Gate report once again shows that toys remain a top category for safety alerts.
As in previous years, the vast majority of these alerts – 97% in 2024 – are linked to manufacturers with no connection to the reputable toy sector and no intention of following EU rules. Many involve serious chemical risks, like banned phthalates – a substance prohibited in toys for over 35 years. The problem isn’t the rules, it’s the lack of enforcement.
“Reputable toy companies go to great lengths to meet EU safety rules,” said Catherine Van Reeth, Director General of Toy Industries of Europe (TIE). “But year after year, rogue traders keep sending children unsafe toys because they can. There are no real consequences for ignoring the rules.”
The newly agreed Toy Safety Regulation will further raise investment in compliance requirements for responsible companies. But without stronger enforcement, the new rules will not stop unsafe toys from flooding the market.
One important channel of unsafe toys is online platforms. TIE’s latest mystery shopping showed that 80% of toys bought from non-EU sellers via online platforms were illegal and unsafe.
“If EU policy makers are serious about protecting children, they need to ensure that online platforms are held responsible for the safety of the toys they help sell in those cases where there is no EU-based seller. If there is no-one to enforce the toy safety rules against, the EU’s back door is left wide open for unsafe toys. In that case, reputable toy businesses will be investing needlessly in complying with the new rules as consumers will prefer the lower-priced, often unsafe toys.” added TIE’s Director General. “A Digital Product Passport may help, but determined rogue traders will find workarounds”
In recent weeks, 850 toy companies from across Europe have signed a petition calling on the EU to crack down on illegal toys. They send a strong message: European toy makers are safety-driven and want action – not more red tape that lets unsafe competition flourish.
TIE is calling for concrete action in three key areas:
- Significantly stronger enforcement of existing toy safety rules across the EU and better customs controls to tackle the flood of unregulated small parcels entering the EU.
- Ensuring swift and thorough enforcement of the Digital Services Act, which requires traceable, responsible sellers on online platforms.
- Plugging the legal loophole so that online platforms also share responsibility for the safety of the toys they help sell.
