Commercial Information Circulars

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e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref : EIC 230/2/12

16 June 2008

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 330/2008

European Union (EU)* :  Evaluation of the Business Safety Measures in the Toy Supply Chain

Further to our Commercial Information Circular No. 255/2008 of 30 April 2008, the European Commission (the Commission) has recently published a report on evaluating the business safety measures in the toy supply chain (the Report). The Report can be accessed through the following link :
http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/citizen/my_safety/docs/safety_measures_toy_supply_chain.pdf

DETAILS

2. In view of the large number of product recalls in Europe over the summer of 2007, the Commission undertook a wide-ranging stocktaking exercise to review the strengths and weaknesses of the existing product safety framework in the EU. One of the initiatives involved an evaluation of business safety measures in the toy supply chain.
3. Results of the evaluation were released in the Report in June 2008. The Report concludes that toy safety cannot be guaranteed only by final product testing. Instead, a quality culture has to be embedded in the entire product development and production process of all players in the supply chain. Adopting and maintaining a strong quality and safety culture was found to be a critical element in ensuring continuous attention to product safety issues.
    
4. The Report also presents a series of recommendations to strengthen the system for ensuring toy safety for all relevant stakeholders in the supply chain including retailers, traders, manufacturers, testing organisations, enforcement authorities and policy makers etc. Salient points of the recommendations are highlighted below :

   1. retailers should engage in education and training of internal buyers and external suppliers of toys regarding the applicable EU rules (i.e. legislation, standards and guidance) and adopt measures to require suppliers to have adequate safety systems in place;
       
   2. traders should ensure knowledge of the applicable EU rules (i.e. legislation, standards and guidance) and guarantee that the products that place on the market respect the applicable safety requirements;
       
   3. manufacturers should ensure the existence of a strong quality attitude and management system;
       
   4. testing organisations should improve their coordination on standardisation developments and interpretation issues and engage in training activities towards relevant stakeholders;
       
   5. all economic operators should ensure the traceability of products and components in the supply chain; and
       
   6. all stakeholders should ensure correct and easily-accessible safety information is widely available, in particular for consumers.

5. Following the evaluation of the business safety measures in the toy supply chain, the Commission is seeking the views of all relevant stakeholders on the Report and subsequently to engage them in a combined effort to develop practical actions to further strengthen the system to ensure toy safety. The Department will monitor closely developments and keep the trade informed. 

ENQUIRIES

6. For enquiries concerning the contents of this circular, please contact the undersigned at telephone number 2398 5684.

Yours faithfully,

(Cyrus NG)

for Director-General of Trade and Industry

* The EU includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.