Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

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

Ref : EIC 230/2/12

23 July 2013

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 585/2013

European Union (EU)* : Amendment to Directive on the Safety of Toys

Further to Commercial Information Circular No. 175/2012 dated 6 March 2012, the European Commission (the Commission) has adopted a Regulation to amend Part III of Annex II of Directive 2009/48/EC concerning the safety of toys. Details are set out in the Commission Regulation (EU) No 681/2013, which can be accessed through the following link:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2013:195:0016:0017:EN:PDF

DETAILS

2.Directive 2009/48/EC has set limit values for barium in toys but an updated report has proposed a lower tolerable level. In order to ensure the best possible protection of health and life of humans, in particular children, it is necessary to apply those lower migration limits for barium within the shortest possible delay as well as avoiding applying different migration limits during the transposition period of the Directive. Therefore, Directive 2009/48/EC should be amended accordingly. The Regulation shall enter into force on 20 July 2013.

ENQUIRIES

3.For enquiries concerning the content of this circular, please contact the undersigned at telephone number 2398 5556.

Yours faithfully,
 

(Miss Anita WONG)
for Director-General of Trade and Industry

* The EU includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, 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.