The revised toy safety directive adopted in 2009 will fail tp preotect children's health, German economy minister Rainer Brüderle said in October 2010. Germany will lobby for a thightening of limits for chemicals befote the rules become effective.
The federal risk assessment institute BfR has repeatedly warned of loopholes in the new European rules. Germany now wants to strengthen restrictions on heavy metals, allergenic substances and carcarcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotxic (CMR) substances.
As a first step towards new European rules an expert group on chemicals in the toys safety directive will be created.
At the same time, Germany's product testing group Stiftung Warentest revealed that two thrids of a sample of 50 toys testes by the organisation contained high concentrations of chemicals such as formaldehyde and heavy metals. Seven of the 50 products should not have been on the market at all.
This emphasises the importance of realiable labels to enable an informed consumers choice. The CE label only stands for compliance wir existing EU product safety rues. Toys, however, do not yet have to comply with the revised toy safety directive.
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