The 35-page online guide, entitled “Toy Safety in the EU,” was published by TIE as part of an education campaign financed by the EC. Available in English and French, the resource includes guidelines regarding technical documentation, safety and conformity assessments, EC declarations of conformity, European Conformity (CE) markings, packaging requirements, sample testing and more. The document also includes various tips, FAQs, definitions and links to EC resources.

First published in 1988, the Toy Safety Directive was updated in July 2009 to include new provisions on enforcement and new safety regulations. The amended directive came into effect in 2011; chemical provisions came into force in 2013. The Directive’s intention is to strengthen the EU’s safety criteria for all domestically produced and imported toys – defined as “products that are designed or intended, whether or not exclusively, for use in play by children under 14 years of age.”

Questions from Toy Industry Association (TIA) member companies that export toys to Europe may be directed to Alan Kaufman, TIA senior vice president of technical affairs.