Since 2009 the so-called Toy Safety Directive has been in force in Europe. The directive sets out all the requirements for toys that are to be placed on the market in Europe. This includes requirements for the safety and health compatibility of toys. In 2020, the European Commission published an Evaluation on the implementation of the Toy Safety Directive.
The European Commission states that:
- the Directive has been successful in harmonising safety requirements for toys across the EU,
- while at the same time there is a need for improvement in the effective enforcement of the Directive.
However, no recommendation is given on whether the Directive should undergo a revision. The European Parliament is currently preparing its own report based on the evaluation report. On this occasion, the TÜV-Association recommends a fundamental revision of the Toys Directive. In its current position paper, it takes a stand on the core statements of the evaluation report and identifies necessary fields of action.
At A Glance: THe main recommendations of the TÜV Association
- Prescribe a mandatory ex-ante assessment by Notified Bodies: strengthen compliance through independent conformity assessments
- Expand the product safety definition to include digital security: establishing the product safety definition to include digital security
