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On 25 November 2025, the European Parliament adopted a new Toy Safety Regulation aimed at strengthening child health protection and updating safety requirements for all toys placed on the EU market.

Expanded Restrictions on Hazardous Chemicals

The updated regulation broadens the existing bans on dangerous substances. In addition to carcinogenic, mutagenic and reproductive toxic chemicals, the rules now prohibit endocrine disruptors, substances that are harmful to the respiratory system, skin or other organs, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) and the most hazardous bisphenols. Allergenic fragrances will no longer be permitted in toys intended for children under three years of age or in toys that children may put in their mouths.

Strengthened Safety Assessments and Digital Product Passports

Manufacturers will be required to carry out comprehensive safety assessments before placing toys on the market. These assessments must consider chemical, physical, mechanical and electrical risks, as well as flammability, hygiene and radioactivity. The rules also require manufacturers of connected or digital toys to assess potential risks to children’s mental health.

All toys will require a digital product passport (DPP), which is designed to support customs and market surveillance as well as giving consumers easy access to safety information via a QR code for example. Importers, distributors and online marketplaces will face stricter obligations, and toys that do not comply with the regulation will be treated as illegal.

Next Steps

The Toy Safety Regulation will apply 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. A transitional period of four and a half years will allow authorities and industry to adapt to the new requirements.

Update 13 November 2025:
The Council of the European Union has today formally approved the One Substance, One Assessment (OSOA) legislative package, marking the final political step before publication in the Official Journal. Once published, the three acts will enter into force 20 days later. The package introduces a harmonised assessment process across EU chemicals legislation and foresees the creation of a common data platform, which must become operational within three years of entry into force.

Original News:

On 21 October 2025, the European Parliament adopted three legislative resolutions forming the core of the One Substance, One Assessment (OSOA) initiative. The package aims to simplify and harmonise the evaluation of chemicals across the EU by improving data accessibility, strengthening coordination among EU agencies, and transferring certain scientific and technical tasks to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).

Common Data Platform on Chemicals

The first regulation (P10_TA(2025)0235) establishes a common data platform on chemicals to consolidate information on hazard properties, uses, emissions, presence in the environment, and human exposure. The platform will also include data on safer alternatives and will apply the FAIR principles (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable) to ensure consistency and transparency in chemical data. It also establishes a monitoring and outlook framework to support the early identification of emerging chemical risks.

Re-attribution of Tasks to ECHA

The second act (P10_TA(2025)0236) reallocates specific scientific and technical tasks from the European Commission and other bodies to ECHA. These include assessing exemption requests under the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive 2011/65/EU, coordinating technical reviews, and publishing non-confidential application information. A twenty-month transition period is foreseen to enable the transfer of responsibilities and resources.

Strengthened Inter-Agency Cooperation

The third text (P10_TA(2025)0237) amends several existing EU regulations to strengthen cooperation among EU agencies involved in chemical safety, food safety, environmental protection, and product regulation. These include:

• Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 (General Food Law Regulation)
• Regulation (EC) No 401/2009 (European Environment Agency Regulation)
• Regulation (EU) 2017/745 (Medical Devices Regulation)
• Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 (Persistent Organic Pollutants Regulation)

The amendments introduce mechanisms for data exchange, coordinated scientific assessments, and the resolution of divergent scientific opinions.

Next Steps

These measures aim to eliminate the duplication of chemical assessments, improve regulatory efficiency, and enhance the scientific coherence of EU chemicals legislation. This is in line with the objectives of the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability and the zero-pollution ambition of the European Green Deal.

Following Parliament’s approval, the package awaits formal adoption by the Council of the European Union before entering into force. Each act will enter into force following publication in the Official Journal of the European Union, typically twenty days after publication, unless otherwise specified.