Toymakers Back Sensible Global Safety Standard

BRUSSELS, April(Reuters) – Top toymakers backed plans on Wednesday for a mandatoryglobal safety standard for toys to prevent unsafe products fromreaching the consumer, but said it must not be a barrier to innovationor entry into the market.

The European Union is mulling new legislation in the area of toysafety, while the United States has proposed a stricter, independentlyverified regulation for toys following a spate of recalls — mostly ofChinese goods — in 2007.

Brussels and Washington are due to hold talks in June in a bid toreach a trans-Atlantic agreement, which they hope could pave the wayfor a global safety mark.

Leading toymakers such as Mattel Inc (MAT.N: Quote, Profile, Research), Hasbro (HAS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Hornby (HRN.L: Quote, Profile, Research) said they favor an independent global standard, but are concerned over its scope and how it should be policed.

Last week EU Consumer Commissioner Meglena Kuneva also backed theidea of a trans-Atlantic standard, which she said would force countriessuch as China to follow suit.

Hornby and Lego — Europe’s biggest toymaker — expressed someconcern that any new legislation could hinder their industry’s future.

"We have concerns about the scope and any overzealous adoption ofany new regulation which might prevent competition in the market,"Hornby chief executive Frank Martin told Reuters following a meeting ofEurope’s major toymakers in Brussels.

Lego CEO, Jorgen V Knudstorp said: "We must make sure this issensible legislation. We have concerns that these rules, if notproperly thought through could damage new innovation and new producers."

European and U.S. lawmakers have criticized current regulations inthe wake of the recall of over 20 million toys worldwide last year dueto excessive levels of lead paint and other unsafe components.

European consumer groups have urged that the EU’s CE mark — whichis questioned only if a product draws complaints — be abolished infavor of a new, stricter standard awarded by an independent regulator.

Most toymakers said they favored an independent body to award the new standard.

"We are in favor of a global standard supplied by a trustedauthority. We do not favor either third party or governmentauthorities. Once they do the job properly," Knudstorp said.

However U.S. companies said they favor an independent third partyand are opposed to any authority set up by the EU’s executiveCommission or any U.S. federal agency.

"We prefer a more transparent approach," Carter Keithley, president of the U.S. Toy Industry Association said.

Sources within the European Commission, which oversees EU consumersafety rules, said Brussels was mulling a new standard similar toGermany’s "GS" safety mark.

Such a new stamp — known as "CE PLUS" — would replace the EU’s CEmark, which manufacturers need to trade across the 27-member bloc. TheGerman label is awarded through an independent and certified monitoringauthority.

(Editing by Andrew Hurst)