Deciding whether a product is a toy or just a decorative or collectible product can be hard. The European Union (EU) Commission and Member States Toy Expert Group has recently published Guidance Document No. 20 to help stakeholders decide whether their product comes under the scope of the EU Directive 2009/48/EC, the so-called Toy Safety Directive (TSD). If a product is purely decorative or collectible, and not a toy, then it does not come under the scope of the TSD.

According to TSD, products within its scope will be “designed or intended, whether or not exclusively, for use in play by children under 14 years of age.” However, assessing the play value of a product can be difficult.

Guidance Document No. 20 has been published to help clarify these matters. It contains criteria and examples to help stakeholders differentiate between toys and non-toys.

To see a summary of the contents of this guidance document, view SGS’s original SafeGuard 104/21. It contains details of how you can differentiate between product types, with images as examples.

Stakeholders should be aware that products not under the scope of the TSD are still required to comply with the General Product Safety Directive.

SGS EU Toy Directive Services
SGS offers a wide range of services to ensure that products comply with the EU Toy Safety Directive. They offer training, safety/risk assessment, technical documentation check, labelling review, testing according to harmonized standards, SVHC screening, inspections and audits. They have the world’s largest network of toy experts and testing facilities, including around 20 toy laboratories and three 3 EU Notified Bodies (France, Germany and Netherlands). After all, it’s only trusted because it’s tested. Learn more about SGS’s EU Toy Directive Services. [www.sgs.com/en/Consumer-Goods-Retail/Toys-and-Juvenile-Products/Toys/EU-Toy-Directive.aspx]

SGS SafeGuardS keep you up to date with the latest news and developments in the consumer goods industry. Read the full New EU Commission Guidance Document on Decorative Products and Product for Collectors SafeGuardS. [www.sgs.com/en/news/2021/07/safeguards-10421-new-eu-commission-guidance-document-on-decorative-products]

Subscribe here, www.sgs.com/subscribesg, to receive SGS SafeGuardS direct to your inbox.

For further information contact:

Sanda Stefanovic
Toys Expert
Tel: +31882144617
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.sgs.com/hardlines
LinkedIn: sgs-consumer-goods-&-retail

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