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Safety of Toys Directive > Safety of Toys Directive

Product Legislation

Safety of Toys Directive

The Safety of Toys Directive (2009/48/EC, as amended), came into force on the 20th July 2011, replacing 88/378/EEC. This Directive applies to;

"any product or material designed or clearly intended for use in play by children of less than 14 years of age."

Certain Products are excluded from the scope:

1. Decorative objects for festivities and celebrations

2. Products for collectors, provided that the product or its packaging bears a visible and legible indication that it is intended for collectors of 14 years of age and above. Examples of this category are:
(a) detailed and faithful scale models;
(b) kits for the assembly of detailed scale models;
(c) folk dolls and decorative dolls and other similar articles;
(d) historical replicas of toys; and
(e) reproductions of real fire arms.

3. Sports equipment, including roller skates, inline skates, and skateboards intended for children with a body mass of more than 20 kg

4. Bicycles with a maximum saddle height of more than 435 mm, measured as the vertical distance from the ground to the top of the seat surface, with the seat in a horizontal position and with the seat pillar set to the minimum insertion mark

5. Scooters and other means of transport designed for sport or which are intended to be used for travel on public roads or public pathways

6. Electrically driven vehicles which are intended to be used for travel on public roads, public pathways, or the pavement thereof

7. Aquatic equipment intended to be used in deep water, and swimming learning devices for children, such as swim seats and swimming aids

8. Puzzles with more than 500 pieces

9. Guns and pistols using compressed gas, with the exception of water guns and water pistols, and bows for archery over 120 cm long

10. Fireworks, including percussion caps which are not specifically designed for toys

11. Products and games using sharp-pointed missiles, such as sets of darts with metallic points

12. Functional educational products, such as electric ovens, irons or other functional products operated at a nominal voltage exceeding 24 volts which are sold exclusively for teaching purposes under adult supervision

13. Products intended for use for educational purposes in schools and other pedagogical contexts under the surveillance of an adult instructor, such as science equipment

14. Electronic equipment, such as personal computers and game consoles, used to access interactive software and their associated peripherals, unless the electronic equipment or the associated peripherals are specifically designed for and targeted at children and have a play value on their own, such as specially designed personal computers, key boards, joy sticks or steering wheels

15. Interactive software, intended for leisure and entertainment, such as computer games, and their storage media, such as CDs

16. Babies' soothers

17. Child-appealing luminaires

18. Electrical transformers for toys

19. Fashion accessories for children which are not for use in play

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