Toy safety: Commission consults on limiting aniline in toys

Today, the Commission launched a public consultation on limiting values for aniline in toys in order to enhance the protection of children’s health. Aniline, which may be bound to colorants in toy materials, such as textiles or leather, is suspected to cause cancer and induce heritable mutations in the germ cells of humans. The Commission is proposing to amend the Toy Safety Directive to limit the amount of aniline in toys to 30 mg/kg, which is the lowest concentration the test can identify. Aniline should also be limited in finger paints. The Directive lays down the safety criteria that toys must meet before they can be marketed in the EU. Before being subject to the next steps in the adoption process, the draft amendment will be published for four weeks on the Better Regulation Portal for public feedback. The consultation will be open until 22 October 2020 included.