EU proposes rules to ban imported toys with harmful chemicals
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According to the official EU statistics agency Eurostat, China is the biggest manufacturer of toys imported to the EU.
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A pupil in reception class plays with plastic toy animals at the Holy Family Catholic Primary School in Greenwich, London, Wednesday, May 19, 2021 (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
The European Commission proposed on Friday new rules to prohibit imports of toys deemed unsafe for children if they happen to contain harmful chemicals -- in particular those that can stunt growth in children as they can disrupt growth hormones.
According to the official EU statistics agency Eurostat, China is the biggest manufacturer of toys imported to the EU.
It accounts for 83 percent of the value of toys brought in 2021, as per data.
"Enforcement will be stepped up thanks to digital technologies, allowing unsafe toys to be more easily detected, notably at EU borders," EU internal market commissioner Thierry Breton said.
The proposed regulation, named the Toy Safety Regulation, aims to fill existing gaps in EU legislation with regard to safety standards in toys sold across the bloc.
The commission said in a statement that toys bought in the EU are "already among the safest ones in the world".
However, more needed to be done, given "the high number of unsafe toys that are still sold in the EU, especially online" -- in particular imported ones.
The proposed regulations target toys containing "chemicals that affect the endocrine system, and chemicals affecting the respiratory system or are toxic to a specific organ."
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Chemicals that disrupt endocrines in children can affect growth, thyroid functions, and puberty, and can contribute to diabetes or obesity.
The commission is proposing that in order to ensure all toys sold in the EU are safe, importers are required to procure "digital product passports" to help with the inspection of shipments.
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) said that if the proposal is legislated, "it would be the first time ever -- worldwide -- that both known and suspected hormone-disrupting chemicals are banned from an entire product group".
The head of the European Consumer Voice in Standardisation, Stephen Russell, said: "For years, we and BEUC have criticized the all-too-weak provision of toy safety legislation when it comes to chemicals."
"It is very welcome to see the European Commission now proposes to phase out hormone-disrupting chemicals from an entire product group."
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