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Ensuring the safety of toys in the European Union
Language [zh]
HTML [zh]
- Date of last review [zh]:
- 01/09/2022
- Initial creation date [zh]:
- 01/01/1001
- Summary code [zh]:
-
- 09.03.02.00
- 19.05.01.00
- 24.03.08.00
- 09.03.02.00
- Directory code [zh]:
-
- 13.30.99.00 / /
- 15.20.30.00 / /
- Summarised document(s) [zh]:
- Author [zh]:
- PUBL
- Responsible entity(ies) [zh]:
- GROW
Ensuring the safety of toys in the European Union
SUMMARY OF:
WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE DIRECTIVE?
- It sets out the safety requirements that toys made available in the European Union (EU) must meet. These requirements are designed to provide a high level of health and safety, to protect the public and to guarantee free movement of toys in the EU.
- It identifies the particular responsibilities of different operators in the supply chain from manufacturer to importer/retailer/distributor.
KEY POINTS
- Toys are products designed or intended, whether exclusively or not, for use in play by children under 14.
- Manufacturers, since they have a detailed knowledge of their product, have the responsibility of ensuring their toys meet all the applicable safety requirements.
- Importers are required to place on the market only toys from outside the EU that comply with all the applicable safety requirements.
- Distributors and retailers must act with due care regarding the applicable safety requirements.
- National authorities perform market surveillance.
- Toys have to be accompanied by an ‘EU’ declaration of conformity and must bear the CE mark in order to be sold throughout the EU.
- The legislation does not apply to the following types of toys (among others):
- playground equipment for public use;
- automatic playing machines intended for public use;
- toy vehicles with combustion engines;
- toy steam engines;
- slings and catapults.
- The directive is updated periodically, generally to set safe limits for chemicals used in toys (such as cadmium, barium, nickel, bisphenol A, formaldehyde and lead) in particular with regard to children aged under 3 and in toys intended to be placed in the mouth. Amendments over the past 5 years relate to aspects such as:
- lead, the monomer bisphenol A and the monomer and preservative phenol in 2017;
- chromium VI in 2018;
- aluminium and formaldehyde in 2019;
- the prohibition and labelling of allergenic fragrances in 2020;
- aniline in 2021.
- The European Commission and the Expert Group on Toy Safety have published guidance documents to assist manufacturers, importers, distributors and public authorities in the application of the directive.
FROM WHEN DOES THE DIRECTIVE APPLY?
The directive had to be transposed into national law by . These rules have applied since .
BACKGROUND
For further information, see:
- The Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC (European Commission).
MAIN DOCUMENT
Directive 2009/48/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of on the safety of toys (OJ L 170, , pp. 1–37).
Successive amendments to Directive 2009/48/EC have been incorporated in the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.
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