(13 March 2023) The European Parliament voted in support of strengthening the chemical safety provisions in the Commission’s proposal for a new toy safety regulation.
It extended the list of restricted substances to cover chemicals that accumulate in humans or persist in the environment and included a group restriction of the ‘forever chemicals’, PFAS, and bisphenols.
The Parliament’s Environment committee had prepared these changes, implementing the extended generic approach for risk management set out by the Chemicals strategy for sustainability. The aim of this approach is to ensure that consumer products are free from the most harmful chemicals, such as chemicals that can cause cancer, disrupt hormone systems, or build up in people or the environment.
The European Chemical Agency would be tasked with assessing requests for derogations from these generic restrictions.
BEUC, The European consumer bureau organisation, welcomed the outcome of the vote and called on Member States to maintain the same level of ambition.
Further Information
- European Parliament, press release (13 Mar. 2024)
- Toxic-Free4EU No 47, article 2 on Environment committee position (26 Jan. 2024)
- Ouest France, article on BEUC’s position (13 Mar. 2024)
- Civil society organisations, reaction to the vote (13 Mar. 2024)
- Toy industry, reaction to the vote (13 Mar. 2024)
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