EU Regulatory Regime · High
Toy Safety — Directive 2009/48/EC + EN 71 series — importer obligations + worked example
Status
Status: Active. New Toy Safety Regulation expected 2026 with stricter chemical limits.
What you must do as the importer
Test goods to EN 71 series (mechanical, flammability, chemical migration limits, electrical safety for electric toys). CE marking required. For toys containing electronics, additional CE under LVD/EMC/RED. Maintain technical file. SVHC and CMR substances banned in toy materials.
What goods are covered
- 95 — Toys, games, sports equipment
Worked example: a typical shipment that triggers
A €50,000 shipment of toys (HS 950000) from CN into the EU triggers Toy Safety — Directive 2009/48/EC + EN 71 series. The customs duty + VAT are calculated as normal — but on top of that, the importer must satisfy the obligations above before the goods can be placed on the EU market.
Non-compliance is not a duty event — it is a market-access event
A common misunderstanding: importers focus on duty + VAT and treat compliance as a tickbox. EU customs increasingly hold goods at the border for missing documentation (DDS for EUDR, CBAM declarant status for steel/aluminium, EU Responsible Person for cosmetics). Holds become storage charges; storage charges become forced re-export. Validate before booking the freight.
Related OrcaTrade resources
See whether this regime applies to your specific shipment
Six questions, all four calculators (sourcing, routing, customs, warehouse), full landed cost — with this regime flagged on your specific HS code if applicable.
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