EU Publishes Toy Safety Guidance No.11 on Age Grading for 36 Months of Age
Background:
The European Commission maintains a "Guidance on Toy Safety", in which the Commission and the Expert Group on Toy Safety draw up guidance documents to assist manufacturers, importers, distributors, and public authorities in the interpretation and application of the Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC.
This Guidance has recently been added with the 11th part dated 2 February 2023 and titled: "Guidance document on toys intended for children under 36 months of age or of 36 months and over".
Significance:
This newly added GUIDANCE DOCUMENT No.11 is a non-binding document intended to provide guidelines to help Member States and stakeholders on the classification of toys intended for children under 36 months of age or of 36 months and over.
Such guidelines for age grading is important since, as pointed out in this guidance, the Toy Safety Directive does not provide requirements regarding the different age classification grades, but acknowledges that children under 36 months of age are especially at risk because of their mouthing behavior and their undeveloped or limited physical and mental maturity, and consequently, the Directive sets out particular stringent provisions for toys intended for those children.
Product Categories:
This guide provides valuable information and classification criteria for the following product categories:
|
Annex 1 |
Puzzles |
|
Annex 2 |
Dolls |
|
Annex 3 |
Soft and stuffed or partially stuffed toys |
|
Annex 4 |
Fidget toys |
|
Annex 5 |
Modelling clay/dough, slime, soap bubbles |
|
Annex 6 |
Movable/wheeled toys |
|
Annex 7 |
Play scenes, constructed models and construction toys |
|
Annex 8 |
Game sets and board games |
|
Annex 9 |
Toys intended to be entered |
|
Annex 10 |
Toys intended to bear the mass of a child |
|
Annex 11 |
Toy sports equipment and balls |
|
Annex 12 |
Hobby horse / stick horse |
|
Annex 13 |
Push-pull toys and pull-along toys |
|
Annex 14 |
Audio/Visual Equipment |
|
Annex 15 |
Toy figures and other toys |
Some Examples:
|
Puzzles |
< 3 or 3+ |
Description of product |
Criteria |
|
No.1 |
< 3 |
Foam puzzle |
Are interchangeable (same shape, standard and identical indents); can be interconnected at random, in no particular order; whatever their individual size. |
|
No.2 |
3+ |
Foam puzzle |
Puzzles with pieces that are not interchangeable, much smaller and there are many more of them (full size of finished puzzle is 31 by 22 cm) where the puzzle pieces depict a road and where the foam puzzles depict an intricate image. |
Reference:
https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/toys/toy-safety/guidance_en
https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/53234/attachments/1/translations/en/renditions/native
Contact us for details.
