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A whistle bought from a Chinese global retailer that may put children at risk of choking and strangulation due to a long cord, slime containing boron, which can damage the reproductive system, and magnetic toys that risk being ingested are just some examples among the products assessed by Toy Industries of Europe in their study about EU safety rules.

Toy Industries of Europe, the European association representing the leading toy manufacturers, says it purchased over 100 unbranded toys through online marketplaces such as AliExpress, Amazon Marketplace, Shein and Temu and found that 80% of the toys failed to meet EU safety rules.

To address this, under the new rules approved on Monday, all toys will require a digital product passport, allowing consumers and regulators to check each toy’s compliance with EU laws.

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Various studies have shown that many toys purchased outside Europe, mostly via online platforms, fail to meet EU safety standards.

[The European consumer organisatio] BEUC’s own investigation into Temu claims that the Chinese online marketplace “is an entry point for dangerous products in Europe.”

Temu has long been under investigation for breaching European rules. In July this year, the European Commission found that the e-commerce platform was in breach of the Digital Services Act (DSA) for failing to properly assess the risks of illegal products sold on its website.

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The newly adopted regulation also expands the ban on carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic-for-reproduction chemicals in toys to include other hazardous substances such as endocrine disruptors.

Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that interfere with regular hormonal activity in the body, such as bisphenols and phthalates. Exposure to them can be dangerous even at very low doses and may have effects later in life.

Because the endocrine systems and brains of children are still developing, they are particularly susceptible to substances that affect their growth.

Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals has been linked to declining sperm counts, an increased number of children born with congenital malformations, and rising cases of certain types of hormone-sensitive cancers.

The text also introduces a limited ban on the intentional use of PFAS – harmful “forever chemicals” linked to cancer and other serious health risks – in toys, with exemptions for components necessary for electronic or electrical functions where the substance is entirely inaccessible to children.

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