Children's toys sold in the European Union will be subject to stricter safety rules from 1 January 2026.
The new legislation, adopted by the European Parliament and the Council, will ban substances from toys as soon as they are identified as hazardous, the European Commission said in a release on Tuesday.
These include chemicals known to disrupt hormones, affect the lungs, cause skin allergies, or harm organs.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — a group of chemicals often used to make products water- and stain-resistant — and bisphenols will also be prohibited.
The rules also strengthen the existing ban on substances that can cause cancer, genetic damage, or impact reproduction.
These are known as carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reprotoxic substances in scientific terminology.
Digital passports for toy safety
To support enforcement, every toy sold in the EU will be required to have a digital product passport.
This will contain safety and compliance information, easily accessible to consumers via QR codes or other online data carriers, the European Commission said.
For toys purchased online or imported into the EU, customs authorities will be able to check the digital passport for compliance.
The new rules are set to be fully implemented from 1 August 2030.
