Brussels, 12/12/2008 (Agence Europe) - After four informal trialogue meetings, the Commission, Council and European Parliament reached a political agreement on Wednesday 10 December on the review of directive 88/738/EC on toy safety. The Parliament is likely to give the agreement first reading approval in Strasbourg next week. Negotiators, led by European Parliament rapporteur Mariann Thyssen (EPP-ED, Belgium), finally overcame the last hurdle to agreement, the issue of certification by a third party to check that a toy meets the required standards - something German Socialists had been calling for. All three parties finally agreed that there was no need for this certification. Thyssen argued that experiences in China and the United States had shown that certification by a third party brought its own problems, imposing additional costs on manufacturers without any clear added value. Rather than legislate on this matter, the Commission prefers increased checks at points of entry into the Community market. From the Council, Germany, Austria and Portugal tried in vain to have demands imposed on chemical industries lightened. The Thyssen report, which was unanimously adopted by the EP internal market committee on 6 November, recommends removing all dangerous chemical substances from the production of toys. Particularly targeted are substances which are carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic to reproduction. Exceptions may be allowed for certain toys if the European Scientific Committee thinks it appropriate. The Thyssen report calls, too, for the quantity of heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium) permitted in toys to be halved. Lastly, to the Commission's initial proposal (see EUROPE 9588), it adds strict rules on the use of allergenic fragrances in toys. The revised directive on toy safety will come into effect four years after it is adopted, in line with Community REACH legislation on dangerous chemical substances. (E.H./transl.rt)