MEPs call for action on toy safety

STRASBOURG: MEPs look set to back a number of resolutions calling for a revision of the toy safety directive in the wake of recent product recalls.

During Tuesday’s debate in Strasbourg attended by commissioners Gunter Verheugen and Meglena Kuneva, MEPs demanded among other things a specific EU toys safety label, better enforcement of current legislation and an improvement of the current CE marking system.

The debate follows the recent recall of 21 million toys by US manufacturer Mattel over concerns that the products contained lead.

Each of the six main political groups tabled a motion for resolution on the issue of toy safety, which will be voted on during Wednesday’s plenary session.

German deputy Andreas Schwab for example has proposed a new EU-wide voluntary safety label targeted specifically at consumer needs.

During the debate, British centre-right deputy Malcolm Harbour asked why there was still reluctance to tell consumers where products were made, adding that there was a need for an effective toy safety mark.

His words were echoed by German MEP Hiltrud Breyer, who said that the EU’s whole approach to toy safety standards should be revised.

"Under current EU rules, even the most dangerous chemicals are tolerated in toys, as long as the exposure stays below a certain level,” she said.

“We should not play with our children's health. Chemicals that cause cancer, damage to genes or are toxic to reproduction have no place in toys. A straightforward ban should be introduced without delay."

Scots MEP Ian Hudghton agreed that updating the directive was “critical to protecting our domestic interests and children's health”.

"Chinese authorities must take appropriate action to improve the standards for production, but equally important is the duty of toy companies, who order products from the Far East, to ensure that safety standards are met,” he said.

“Product safety is a matter of public health and this issue needs immediate attention.”

UK Tory international trade spokesperson Syed Kamall however cautioned fellow MEPs from blowing the latest Mattel recalls out of proportion.

“While there will undoubtedly be some toys from China that may not be totally safe, we must put the latest recalls into context,” he said.

“Every year, 80 per cent of the world’s toys are imported from China, yet only a fraction are recalled due to safety concerns.

“The European Union’s RAPEX rapid alert system picks up a number of unsafe toys, which surely shows it is fulfilling its function.”
 
According to RAPEX, 913 notifications of product withdrawals were reported within the first 35 weeks of 2007 as compared to 924 serous risk notifications in the whole year of 2006, an increase of almost 50 per cent.

Toys account for most of the notifications, representing 32 per cent of all notifications.

About 48 per cent of the unsafe products in the first 35 weeks of 2007 were manufactured in China.

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