CHEM Trust

Protecting humans and wildlife from harmful chemicals

Toxic-free toys

Toxic chemicals do not belong in children’s toys. Children are particularly vulnerable to harmful chemicals as they are still developing, and exposure to some of these chemicals can have a lifelong impact. CHEM Trust is working in the EU and the UK to ensure they are protected from harmful chemicals, including those that could be used in toys.

Revision of the EU Toy Safety Directive

The EU decided to revise the EU Toy Safety Directive after the Commission found in an evaluation exercise that the law, which dates back to 2009, was not protecting children from a range of harmful chemicals in toys, including EDCs, and needed improvement.

Civil society has raised concerns about toxic chemicals in toys for several years, calling on policymakers to act. In July 2023, the Commission published a legislative revision proposal. In March and April 2024,  a wide coalition of civil society stakeholders called on Members of the European Parliament and Ministers of Member States to strengthen the Commission’s proposal.

In March 2024, the Parliament voted almost unanimously to improve the Commission’s proposal, including group restrictions for PFAS and bisphenols (read the European Parliament press release here). The Member States’ mandate, agreed in May of the same year, didn’t match the Parliament’s ambition (read the Council’s press release here).

The new EU Toy Safety Regulation

In April 2025, after several months of discussions, Parliament and Council agreed on a revised Regulation. Read CHEM Trust’s reaction here. The Council and the Parliament then gave their final approval for the law in October and November 2025, respectively, and it will soon be published in the European Union Official Journal. Read CHEM Trust’s reaction to the Parliament’s final approval of the Regulation here.

The new Toy Safety Regulation includes a range of measures that better protect children against some of the most harmful chemicals in toys:

  • A ban on chemicals that have been classified under the Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation (CLP) as known or suspected endocrine disrupting chemicals for human health, category 1 or 2 (EDCs).
  • A ban on chemicals toxic to the respiratory system (category 1) and specific organs (category 1).
  • A group ban on 10 bisphenols.
  • A group ban on PFAS, the forever chemicals.

Call for action in the UK

The UK currently enforces the 2009 EU Toy Safety Directive as the 2011 Toy Safety Regulation. This is the regulation the EU has deemed out of line with the science and inadequate at protecting children from harmful chemicals in toys.

Civil society organisations, healthcare professionals, patient organisations, and scientists have called for the UK government to align with the EU’s update.

A letter sent from 50 health experts in October 2025 highlighted children’s specific vulnerability to harmful chemicals,  as well as the links between exposure to EDCs and a range of diseases that the UK has high incidences of. A letter was also sent in October from health and environment charities, which highlights that the new EU regulation will be in place in Northern Ireland and call for the same level of protection across all four nations. They also stressed the risk of toys considered too unsafe for children in the EU being dumped on the UK market without a commitment to match these new standards. Read more in this blog.

The UK Government is currently asking the public, businesses, and scientific experts whether to adopt similar improvements to UK toy safety rules as the EU, via a call for evidence. It is important they hear that there is strong support for matching these measures. You can find out more about the call for evidence, and how to respond, here.

Members of the European Parliament support toxic-free toys

Before the 2024 European Parliament elections, CHEM Trust asked MEP candidates from across the political spectrum to support toxic-free products, including toxic-free toys. Here are some of the MEPs who supported the call for toxic-free toys:

Vice-President Martin Hojsík, Slovakia, Renew: “I want a healthy future for our kids, not diseases and despair. Kids need our action, because they cannot protect themselves. They need us to allow the transition to safe chemicals and products. I am confident that with strong political will, change will follow.”

MEP Kira Marie Peter-Hansen, Denmark, Greens/EFA: “We must take decisive action against toxic chemicals that harm our health, fertility and the environment. These harmful substances are ever-present, found in products from baby pacifiers to frying pans, even in the rainwater that falls from the sky. I am deeply concerned about the potential consequences and am therefore committed to the fight for a toxic-free future.”

MEP Manuela Ripa, Germany, EPP: “It’s alarming to witness the extent of our daily exposure to hazardous chemicals, such as forever chemicals (PFAS), endocrine disruptors, and persistent organic pollutants (POPs). This is especially worrying considering the negative impact that these chemicals have on children’s development. That’s why I fully support the #ToxicFreeAction campaign led by CHEM Trust!”

Key resources

Legislative materials

NGO reactions

Advice for parents

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