On 10 April, EU legislators from the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament found an agreement on an update to the EU’s toy safety directive.
As part of the negotiations, Renew Europe pushed for mental health to be integrated into the law and ensured real progress was made to avoid the use of toxic substances.
“This agreement brings toy safety into the 21st century. For the first time, we’re not only protecting children from toxic substances, but also recognising the mental health risks of connected toys. Reward mechanisms that pressure kids to perform or tie their self-worth to metrics have no place in healthy play. Europe must lead by example: safe toys must also mean mentally safe toys,” said Anna Stürgkh MEP (NEOS, AT).
“We ensured that some of the most toxic substances, such as bisphenols and PFAS, can no longer be used in the manufacturing of toys for Europe’s children. Further work will, however, be needed to align many of Europe’s regulations with relation to chemicals and their use in the economy. The current regulatory regime is fragmented and often contradictory,” said Renew Europe Vice-President Billy Kelleher MEP (Fianna Fáil, IE).