Safety of toys

25.11.2010

Question for oral answer O-0195/2010
to the Commission
Rule 115
Andreas Schwab, Anja Weisgerber, Marianne Thyssen, Anna Maria Corazza Bildt
on behalf of the PPE Group
Evelyne Gebhardt, Christel Schaldemose, Anna Hedh, Barbara Weiler
on behalf of the S&D Group
Cristian Silviu Buşoi, Jürgen Creutzmann, Antonyia Parvanova, Nadja Hirsch
on behalf of the ALDE Group
Heide Rühle
on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group
Malcolm Harbour 
on behalf of the ECR Group

On 1 July 2010 the Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks (SCHER) published a scientific opinion on the 'Evaluation of the migration limits for chemical elements in toys', which evaluates the methods used in Directive 2009/48/EC for regulating the risk from organic CMR. The committee, on the one hand, recommends that toy safety should be based on migration limits but, on the other hand, points out that the method which is prescribed to measure the migration of chemical elements (EN 71-3 (Standard)) is not reliable.

Parliament has already called on the Commission to address this issue in the past, with no results. There are also widespread concerns regarding the limits for harmful substances like Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) in toys, despite the fact that Directive 2009/48/EC is considered as one of the world's strictest pieces of legislation in the area of toy safety. The latest RAPEX reports on the recall of unsafe toys also give cause for concern regarding market surveillance for toys.

1. Does the Commission share the view of the SCHER opinion that the method for measuring the migration of chemical elements is not reliable? If so, what are the next steps that the Commission will undertake to resolve this issue?

2. What kind of initiatives has the Commission taken, or will it take, to ensure better market surveillance of toys, notably as regards the imported products?

3. Does the Commission share the view that the approach to migration limits should be extended to other hazardous substances in toys, such as PAH compounds, instead of using the quantity limits approach?

4. Is the Commission planning to review the list of restricted substances and their quantities that can be used in toys to take into account the latest scientific data available?

5. Would the Commission be willing to investigate the issue of toys for children over 36 months old, regarding the safety risks they pose if used by children aged less than 36 months?

6. Does the Commission share the view that chemical elements classified as CMR categories 1A and 1B, according to the EU Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation, should not be present in toys?

7. What will be the precise timeframe for the Commission’s proceedings?

Tabled: 25.11.2010

Forwarded: 29.11.2010

Deadline for reply: 6.12.2010