Strasbourg, 25/09/2007 (Agence Europe) - Failures of operators' checks, insufficient market surveillance, CE marking that can lead to confusion, delay in revising Community legislation on the safety of toys: everyone - producers/importers, member states, the European Commission - was roundly criticised during a lively European Parliament debate in Strasbourg on 25 September on the safety of toys imported from China.
Consumer Protection Commissioner Meglena Kuneva and Industry Commissioner Günter Verheugen were not too many coming to inform MEPs of the measures the European Commission intends to take to restore consumer confidence, shaken by this summer's withdrawal of 21 million potentially dangerous toys by the US manufacturer Mattel. MEPs, however, were critical that there was no Council representative present, and several wanted Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson to become involved in the future in this issue to push product safety onto the agendas of trade negotiations with third countries. The debate preceded the vote on a resolution, scheduled for 26 September, through which the Parliament is expected to demand radical measures.
The approach adopted by Kuneva - giving priority to the strict application of existing legislation on product safety and the responsibility of operators, enhanced cooperation and firmness with regard to the Chinese authorities - were generally well received. The measures announced and already presented to the European Parliament internal market and consumer protection committee on 12 September (see EUROPE 9501) were also welcomed, at least the parts referring to: - the current review of mechanisms to monitor toy safety in the EU; - meetings planned between the Commission and national monitoring authorities, and with toy manufacturers; - the careful examination of how the Chinese authorities will follow up the cases of dangerous products brought to their attention by RAPEX (the European rapid alert system for non-food consumer products); - the desire to take whatever decisions necessary, following the review of the current situation, to fill in the gaps identified and ensure that, in future, all the products on the EU market meet European legislation standards along all of the production and distribution line.
A key point in the planned measures, a proposal, announced by Verheugen, to review the directive on toy safety before the end of the year, was, however, more criticised than praised, with many MEPs complaining about the time taken by the Commission before finally undertaking this project on a text which dates back to 1988. The CE marking was also the subject of fierce criticism, claiming that this symbol, the first purpose of which is not to inform the consumer of the safety of the product, could lead to misunderstanding.
The EPP-ED urged the industry to put in place a European safety marking, certified by independent testing and clear labelling of toys which would state where they were made. Marianne Thyssen (EPP-ED, Belgium) said that, “The EU has one of the best consumer legislations worldwide … The Commission needs to put in place adequate sanctions for the misuse of the CE marking and member states need to do more inspections and cooperate more closely”. Malcolm Harbour (EPP-ED, UK) said that a chain was only as strong as its weakest link. He went on, “It is irresponsible makers and importers whose products have not been properly tested that present the biggest problem in terms of toy safety”. For Andreas Schwab (EPP-ED, Germany) the first thing to do would be to strengthen the market surveillance system. He also called on the Commission to assess the added value of creating a voluntary European safety mark for all consumer products. This would complement the CE marking and replace all national safety labels. Corien Wortmann-Kool (EPP-ED, Netherlands) called on the Commission to put product safety higher up the trade negotiations agenda “to make sure that countries such as China implement our health and safety standards to the letter”. Evelyne Gebhardt (PES, Germany) reminded the Commission that the EU's aim was to reach the highest possible level of safety. “I hope that we will have a new draft of the toys directive before Christmas,” she added, calling for a safety label, particularly for toys. Frédérique Ries (ALDE, Belgium), happy with Kuneva's firm message, said the incidents of the summer were “the chronicle of the announced failure of monitoring, of CE marked goods, of everyday consumer goods containing carcinogens, mutagens, harmful for reproduction or which had a negative effect on the endocrine system”, all products which, she said, should be banned.
The Greens/EFA, through Carl Schlyter (Sweden), reproached the Commission for its approach to toy safety which was more like “poacher turned gamekeeper”. Checks were good, but legislation was better. Carcinogens had no place in toys, said Hiltrud Breyer (Green, Germany). Adding to Verheugen's speech, “It's not true that lead has been banned by the toys directive”. She called for “failing standards to be replaced with bans”.
Luca Romagnoli (ITS, Italy, argued for an increase in customs duties on imported goods which failed to comply with social and safety standards. (an)