Since 20 of July, new EU rules on toy safety entered into force. With the new Toys Directive all actors involved in the production, selling and control of toys on the EU market will get more responsibilities to better protect children. The new directive addresses a wide range of issues to ensure that toys do not present any health hazards or risk of injury.

The new legal framework will replace the old Toy Safety Directive of 1988 with rules such as preventing children from choking or suffocating as a consequence of swallowing or inhaling toys or their parts are strengthened. Toys in or co-mingled with food always need to be in a separate packaging, and those that can be accessed only after the food surrounding them is actually consumed are prohibited.

The EU market will get more responsibilities to better protect children with the new Directive. First of all, Member States will have to ensure that market surveillance authorities perform adequate checks both at the EU external borders and within the Union itself, also through visits at the premises of economic operators that will ensure the immediate confiscation of dangerous toys. Second, toy manufacturers, importers and distributors have more obligations too. Before placing a new toy on the market, they will have to identify the hazards and the potential exposure to children via a safety assessment. Finally, manufacturers are also obliged to ensure traceability of the toy by indicating name, address and number of the item.

The toy industry is a highly internationalized industry and one of the most dynamic business sectors in Europe. Actually, the European toy industry comprises over 25% of the world toy market. Around 80% of the sector is comprised of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) that have less than 50 employees.