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EU Directive on Toy Safety

Published January 4, 2004

Directive 88/378/EEC, the Toy Directive, is one of the so called ‘New Approach’ Directives. These Directives lay down essential (minimum) demands of safety, health and the environment. The idea behind the New Approach is that essential requirements are formulated in general terms. While the directive prescribes the objectives to be attained, the European standardisation bodies (i.e. CEN, CENELEC) are responsible for the practical means of fulfilling these essential requirements in detail. Products that come under the ‘New Approach’ Directives and satisfy all requirements may be marked with the CE-mark.

One of the aims of the ‘New Approach’ Directives is market access to the entire EU. This means that Member States have to implement the requirements as laid down in the Directives without adding additional requirements. In other words the ‘New Approach’ Directives provides for harmonised legislation in the EU Member States.