NEWS

EU TOY SAFETY DIRECTIVE- PROPOSALS TO STRENGTHEN CHEMICAL REQUIREMENTS

Two working papers with proposals to strengthen the requirements for chemicals under the Toy Safety Directive were recently published. The proposals recommend to strengthen the limits for soluble barium and to include the flame retardant plasticizer TCEP.

In 2009, the new Toy Safety Directive (TSD) 2009/48/EC was published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). The new Directive was to be enforced to two phases; July 2011 for non-chemicals, including chemical risk assessment, and 21 July 2013 for chemicals.

On 28 August 2012, the European Comitology Register published 2 working papers with proposals to strengthen the chemical requirements under the TSD. One paper proposed to strengthen the limits for soluble barium for all three categories of toy materials. The second paper proposed to introduce the prohibition of Tris-(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), a flame retardant plasticizer classified as carcinogenic category 2 and toxic to reproduction category 1B. The prohibition of TCEP was in consideration of the opinion by the Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks (SCHER) committee and the report by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Comments on these proposals have been submitted and are under consideration. Summary requirement as below:

For detail information, Please click the links:
Proposal for the revision of the current limit values for barium, Document COM/2012/003,European Commission, 28 August 2012
Proposal for the inclusion of limit values for TCEP, Document COM/2012/003, European Commission, 28 August 2012