On 1 January 2026, the European Union announced a new era of toy safety with the implementation of its updated Toy Safety Regulation. Designed to address the evolving risks associated with modern and digital toys, and combat the rise in counterfeit products, these rules set a higher benchmark for child safety across the EU market. With a transition period until 1 August 2030 for full compliance, brands and manufacturers have just over 4 years to assess, adapt and align to the new requirements.
What are the key Components of the Regulation:
1. Ban on Harmful Chemicals
The new regulation introduces a strict ban on any substances that risk causing harm to children. This includes:
- Endocrine disruptors
- PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances)
- Certain bisphenols
- Chemicals affecting the respiratory system or specific major organs
This move aims to eliminate exposure to chemicals that can have long-term health effects on children, ensuring toys are safer than ever before.
2. Digital Product Passport (DPP)
An innovative feature of the new regulation is the requirement for all toys sold in the EU to have a Digital Product Passport (DPP). This passport contains:
- Comprehensive safety and compliance information, and
- is accessible via a QR code on the toy, or its packaging, and
- applies to all toys, with a particular focus on those sold online or imported from outside the EU
The DPP enhances transparency and traceability across the supply chain, making it much easier for consumers and authorities to verify a toy’s safety credentials.
3. Enhanced Safety Assessments
Manufacturers are now required to conduct thorough safety assessments covering all potential hazards, including:
- Chemical, physical, mechanical, and electrical risks
- Flammability and hygiene
- Radioactivity
- Digital risks, including those affecting children’s mental health
This holistic approach ensures that toys are evaluated for both traditional and emerging risks, especially as digital features become more common.
What are the implications for Brands?
The new regulation has significant implications for toy brands and manufacturers, specifically:
- Product Development: Companies must review and update materials and processes to ensure banned substances are not used in any part of their toys.
- Compliance & Documentation: Systems must be implemented to create and maintain digital product passports for every toy. The DPP must be accessible via a QR code on the toy, or its packaging.
- Safety Assessments: Protocols need updating to include comprehensive hazard assessments, including digital and mental health risks.
- Supply Chain: Brands must work closely with suppliers to ensure compliance with new chemical restrictions and documentation requirements. Online marketplaces will need to ensure their sellers have adhered to the new safety rules and there is a way to access the DPP.
- Training: Teams across product development, compliance, and sales will need to be educated on the new requirements and compliance procedures, and clear on what will need to be delivered before 1 August 2030.
“The toy sector faces enormous challenges through copying, and anyone intent on infringing IP is likely to also cut corners with compliance. The forthcoming EU toy safety regulation changes will put far greater onus on traceability through digital product passports and new additions to safety standards. This can only be positive for the toy industry, safeguarding brand and design originality for those who respect IP and take the proper steps to comply with regulations.”
Laura Newbold Breen, CEO at ACID
What we recommend as the next steps:
With the regulation now announced, there is a transition period where brands have until 1 August 2030 to achieve full compliance.
It is recommended to take the following next steps:
- Audit current products and processes to identify any compliance gaps
- Identify the areas of the regulation that impact your brands
- Develop a roadmap for achieving full compliance by the deadline
- Engage with suppliers and partners to ensure the entire supply chain is aligned with the new rules and your roadmap
The new EU Toy Safety Regulation represents a significant step forward in protecting children from both traditional and emerging risks associated with toys. By acting now, brands can ensure a smooth transition and continued access to the EU market, while reinforcing an ongoing commitment to child safety.
Toy Safety Regulation Resources
Our partner, Anti Copying In Design have published a detailed webinar on the new EU Toy Safety Regulations that you can view here.
For further information and guidance, consult the following resources:
Frequently Asked Questions:
When does the new EU Toy Safety Regulation come into effect, and is there a transition period?
The main changes will be coming into effect in 2030, which feels like a long time away, but it allows time to digest the new regulations and liaise with design teams, supply chains and manufacturers to ensure business alignment ahead of implementing any actions.
Equally, keep an eye on Bureau Veritas’ training sessions, newsdesk and updates via their website.
What are the main changes introduced by the new regulation?
It looks like you can expect to see quite a few changes in definitions and testing limits. For instance:
- EN71-1, which applies to Mechanical and Physical aspects, will include changes to noise, mouthing toys and toys that could be considered resembling food, and lots with labelling, as well as DPP requirements and communicating complaints procedures.
- EN71-3, Toxicity and Chemical aspects, will see a significant reduction in thresholds for certain chemicals, and changes depending on product type and intended age range of the product.
There will also be provisions for AI and cybersecurity, which is a new and important area.
You can also download a copy of the legislation.
What is the Digital Product Passport (DPP), and how will it impact manufacturers?
If you are already selling in the EU, you’ll be familiar with creating Declarations of Conformity (DoC). DPP’s will replace the current Declarations of Conformity (DoC’s) and will be significantly more detailed. There will also be some costs involved in these, which could be challenging. However, the flipside is that DPP’s are expected to give a far more stringent and publicly available audit trail of compliance and safety. This should both allow easier enforcement against counterfeits as well as educating the public on the risks of buying cheap copies.
How can lone designers and small businesses start preparing for the changes?
We appreciate that these changes may seem daunting, especially if you are picking this up as you go. The good news is that there is a wealth of information out there that can be read up on for free. You can download the legislation, follow us on LinkedIn for regular communications, and watch ACID’s webinar which is publicly available to help you get started.
On the compliance side, we recommend reviewing any testing records now, ensuring your DoCs are in order so you will be able to utilise as much of that current information as possible when DPP’s come in, and speaking with manufacturers and suppliers so that you’re all aligned to prepare for these changes.
For New Product Development, it’s worth factoring in these forthcoming changes into your design process from today to ensure you don’t have to make any last-minute alterations. Equally, as packaging will see changes, it’s always useful to get this factored into project plans, and speak with suppliers, so lead times aren’t adversely affected.
Finally, leverage your contacts and networks. The most important element of learning compliance can be reaching out to those around you. Whether that’s connecting with colleagues on LinkedIn, following regulatory updates and/or attending free webinars, you won’t be alone and there are opportunities to ask your questions if you have more.
Laura Sodaymay
SnapDragon | Brand Protection Specialist
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