Directive 88/378/EEC Safety of toys
Directive 88/378/EEC on the safety of toys was adopted in the context of the achievement of the internal market. Different safety provisions in the Member States created unnecessary costs in the transactions between Member States, hampering the free movement of toys across the Community. The aim of this harmonisation measure was also to guarantee an equally high level of toy safety across the whole Community.
While Directive 88/378/EC worked well during its almost 20 years of existence and toys were already one of the most strictly regulated consumer goods, the revised Toy Safety Directive updates the previous rules in order to keep up with toy trends and developments in scientific knowledge.