Today, a majority of members of the European Parliament voted in favour of a revision of the EU Toy Safety Regulation, which includes measures to ban harmful endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in toys. EDC-Free Europe members welcome this outcome as an important step to ensure children's health is protected against health-harming substances.  

Across the EU, children are exposed to various known and suspected endocrine disrupting chemicals throughout their day, including through their toys. Exposure to EDCs can have a lasting impact on children's healthy development and learning abilities, and is associated with diabetes, obesity and early puberty.  

The proposal to reform the current toy safety legislation was adopted with a large majority (603 of MEPs voting in favour, 5 of MEPs voting against and 15 MEPs abstaining). The text includes a restriction on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS, also known as forever chemicals) and bisphenols in toys. It also broadens the scope for restricting other harmful chemicals in toys, including those that are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic. 

As next steps, the Council will prepare its position, and the file will be followed up by the new European Parliament elected in the EU elections in June 2024. The EDC-Free Europe coalition calls for the regulation to be finalised and adopted without further delay.  

Members of the EDC-Free Europe campaign have welcomed the vote: 

  • ChemSec

Ahead of today's vote, 24 civil society groups sent a joint letter to MEPs urging them to fully support the proposal, and the restrictions on PFAS and bisphenols in toys.  

Health and environment groups have repeatedly demonstrated the presence and contamination of endocrine disruptors and other harmful chemicals in toys. Examples of resources from the EDC-Free Europe coalition include: