European Toy Safety Directive introduces stricter safety requirements

Munich. The revised European Toy Safety Directive will come into force on 20 July 2011. In this directive, the EU Commission introduces even stricter requirements for the safety of toys. The key instrument according to TÜV SÜD is extensive risk assessment, which the manufacturers must carry out in future.

Directive 2009/48/EC is the first to be designed in accordance with the 'Goods Package', a package of laws that bundles various approaches to improve product safety. "The comprehensive risk assessment required from the manufacturers within the scope of technical documentation is one of the biggest challenges", notes Robert Ziegler, expert in toy safety at TÜV SÜD Product Service GmbH. "The range of risk assessment criteria extends from mechanical to hygiene hazards. Manufacturers must also take into account the foreseeable misuse of toys."

In Germany, the European Toy Safety Directive was transposed into national law by the Equipment and Product Safety Law (Geräte- und Produktsicherheitsgesetz (GPSG)). The specific technical requirements are set forth in the EN 71 series of standards, which will also define the requirements for the chemical safety of toys to come into effect on 20 July 2013. From this date on, all toys must be free from carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic (CMR) substances. The new regulations will affect around 1,500 substances. "However, to date the European Commission has not yet officially mandated the standardization committees to amend the requirements of the EN 71 series of standards accordingly", regrets Robert Ziegler. As a possible effect, if no harmonized standards are available by the cutoff date, manufacturers may face compulsory type examination by a Notified Body.

TÜV SÜD supports manufacturers, importers and retailers throughout the world in complying with the requirements of the European Toy Safety Directive and ensuring the safety of 80 million of children in the European Union. To find out about TÜV SÜD's entire service offering in the field of toys, visit www.tuev-sued.de/spielzeug


The revision of the European Toy Safety Directive also aims to introduce stricter requirements for the chemical safety of toys from 2013 onward. The parts of the directive relating to chemical content will come into effect on 20 July 2013.