Brussels, 01/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - Nickel in electric toys will be exempted from the limit values regarding carcinogenicity laid down by the European directive on toy safety, but the limit values in place to protect children against sensitisation and ingestion toxicity remain unchanged. This was the decision made by the European Commission on Tuesday 1 July, in order to ensure “better regulation” and cut red tape.
The exemption for nickel (Directive 2009/48/EC Annex II, section 3, no. 5) does not compromise safety, as nickel is only carcinogenic when present in the form of inhalable fumes, says the Commission. The Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks of the EU issued an opinion on 25 September 2012 stating that nickel metal fumes are not expected to be released from toys - not even from badly functioning electric motors (such as those in model cars or toy trains). (AN)