Attempts to strengthen toy safety laws have won backing in a European Parliament Committee today.

The Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee, chaired by MEP Arlene McCarthy, gave backing to the report, which demands changes to the existing toy standards legislation.

Amendments to the existing law, which has stood for 20 years, include making importers responsible for ensuring toys brought into Europe are safe, giving further powers to allow the banning of dangerous toys, toughening laws on toys with small parts and banning the use of CMRs (substances that are carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for production).

The report, which proposes nearly 400 amendments in all, will now be put to the vote in the full European Parliament, scheduled for December 16.

McCarthy said: “This is a key step in our campaign to raise safety standards and protect our children from dangerous and toxic toy imports. Our current toy safety law is 20 years old and does not deal with the new risks and threats.

“In particular, it does not tackle the risks with imported toys, given that 95 per cent of UK toys and 80 per cent of toys EU-wide are imported from China.

“Recalls must be a last resort. This law needs to set tough standards to ensure dangerous toys never make it on to the shop shelves.”

Last week, Retail Week revealed how retailers feared that some of the amendments could result in cost hikes that would be passed on to consumers.

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