European Toy Safety Campaign: Ensuring safety for our children

Christmas is a very busy time of year for Santa Claus. He has to get the sleigh ready, feed his reindeers, check his list to be sure he hasn’t forgotten any good girls and boys…and make sure that the toys the elves have purchased are not only fun, but also safe! This year, his task will be easier than ever before: since July 2011, toys sold in the EU must satisfy the strictest safety rules in the world.

Safe and fun is the perfect combination, but it is actually not so obvious! What makes a toy safe to use will depend not only on the toy itself, but also on how it is used and the age of the child. What should you look for as a parent, to know if a toy is safe or not for your child?

To offer some good advice, European Commission Vice President Antonio Tajani is launching the European Toy Safety Campaign, intended to show how to get the safest toys, and how to use them safely. A video clip to be aired on TV stations around Europe explains the issues, reinforced by a card with safety tips to be handed out to consumers all over the EU when they are buying toys.

Vice-President Antonio Tajani stated:

“I am launching this effort at Christmas time, when most toys will be bought. This year, toys sold in the EU will be safer than ever, and my campaign will enable parents to make the right choices for their kids.” He added: “I am happy that media, and hundreds of stores all over the EU, will participate in this campaign. But safety is of course important all year round, so let’s now all make sure that we don’t learn safety “by accident”!

Safe and fun is the perfect combination, but it is actually not so obvious! What makes a toy safe to use will depend not only on the toy itself, but also on how it is used and the age of the child. What should you look for as a parent, to know if a toy is safe or not for your child?

The video clip:

The Toy Tips can be found here:
https://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/toys-tips