Brussels, 16/05/2013 (Agence Europe) - By decision of 15 May 2013 (C-198/12), the president of the General Court approved the continued application of the limit values notified by Germany for certain heavy metals in toys (lead, barium, antimony, arsenic and mercury) until the final decision of the General Court on the action brought by this country against the Commission's decision of 1 March 2012. By this decision, the Commission had approved - in accordance with the transitional rules of the new directive on toy safety adopted in 2009 (2009/48/EC) - the continued application of the stricter German limit values based on the previous directive of 1988 (88/378/EEC) for lead and barium in toys until 21 July 2013. It did reject, however, the application in relation to antimony, arsenic and mercury. Germany requested an annulment of that decision and applied for an interlocutory order so as to be able to continue to apply the existing limit values in Germany to guarantee child health protection until a final decision has been taken by the General Court in the case. The president of the General Court agreed to Germany's request and said that it had demonstrated the actual and legal need for an interlocutory order to protect the health of children and has proven the urgency of such an order. According to the president, the controversy between Germany and the Commission regarding the limit values for the metals cited above gives rise to highly technical and complex questions and requires an in-depth examination, which is to be undertaken in the proceedings in the main case. (FG/trans.fl)