EU countries and lawmakers have struck a deal to protect children from harmful chemicals − especially ones that disrupt growth hormones − in toys.
Negotiators from the European Parliament and the EU’s 27 states agreed to strengthen rules on imported toys and those made in the bloc.
“While the EU’s toy safety rules are among the strictest in the world, we must remain vigilant, adapt the rules to emerging risks and ensure that safety standards are met for all toys – whether made in Europe or abroad,” said Krzysztof Paszyk, technology minister of Poland, which holds the rotating EU presidency.
The agreed text introduces a limited ban on “forever chemicals” − known as PFAS − only providing for exemptions when the chemicals are fully inaccessible to children.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are a family of synthetic chemicals that take an extremely long time to break down.
Chronic exposure to even low levels of the chemicals has been linked to liver damage, high cholesterol, reduced immune responses, low birth weights and several kinds of cancer.
Representatives also agreed to expand the ban on chemicals to include other hazardous substances like endocrine disruptors, which interfere with the body’s hormone system.
“The new Toy Safety Regulation sends out a strong signal: for the protection of our children, fair competition and for Europe as a business location,” said Marion Walsmann, the German EU lawmaker who spearheaded the text in the European Parliament.
One in five products labelled as dangerous and removed from the market by the EU was a toy, according to Walsmann.
The text will only become law once it is formally adopted by EU states and parliament.
