European Commission issues warnings to Cyprus, Croatia and Hungary over toy safety directive

The European Commission has issued formal warning letters to Cyprus, Croatia, and Hungary for failing to transpose Directive (EU) 2026/192 into their national legislation. This directive amends the existing Directive 2009/48/EC, which governs the safety of toys, specifically addressing the use of cobalt. Previously, cobalt was subject to a strict general prohibition due to its classification as a Category 1B carcinogen, Category 2 mutagen, and Category 1B reproductive toxin under the CLP Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008.

The new amending directive introduces targeted exemptions based on scientific advice from the SCHEER committee. These exceptions permit limited use of cobalt in specific toy components, including electrical conductive parts, stainless steel elements, and certain types of magnets. The deadline for EU member states to notify the Commission of their national transposition measures was September 11, 2026.

Following the warning letters, the three countries have a two-month period to provide a formal response and submit their complete transposition measures. Should these nations fail to comply within the specified timeframe, the European Commission reserves the right to proceed to the next stage of the infringement procedure, which involves issuing a reasoned opinion.