EU call to scrap CE quality mark

THE EUROPEAN Parliament and a leading consumer group has called for the CE mark to be scrapped because it could mislead people into thinking imported toys and other products were guaranteed safe.

The EU also warned it could ban toys made in China if the authorities there do not prove they have made substantial improvements in manufacturing them.

This follows Mattel’s third large recall of toys in weeks after dangerous levels of lead paint were found on some Barbie and Fisher-Price products.

The world’s largest toy manufacturer recalled hundreds of thousands of toys yesterday because they fear 848,000 Chinese-manufactured Barbie accessories and Fisher-Price toys could include lead-tainted paint.

Jim Murray, director of European consumer organisation BEUC, said: “Many consumers think wrongly that the CE mark means a product was made in Europe or was independently tested by a European authority.”

In fact all it means is that the manufacturer claims the product complies with EU standards.

Socialist MEPs said they will ask the parliament to vote on the issue next month. They want a change in the method of testing toys, currently supposed to be carried out randomly by national authorities.

European Commissioner for Consumer Affairs Maglena Kuneva will have discussions with Mattel’s chief executive today about the latest discovery of substandard toys manufactured in China. She has also asked the Chinese to report on their safety systems. Ms Kuneva’s spokeswoman Helen Kearns said she has given them until the end of October to produce it. “Frankly, if we do not see substantial improvements before the end of October we will look again at the need for tougher enforcement at our end or accelerated measures by which we can ban things,” she said.

Ms Kuneva also announced a review of all safety mechanisms in place in Europe involving the national regulators who are responsible for testing toy safety and toy manufacturers.

She plans to have all her material in place before the EU-China summit in November, when toy safety will be part of the agenda.

Last year Mattel recalled 4.4 million Polly Pocket dolls and accessories because small magnets became detached and killed at least three children. The warning was repeated in April this year and a further 10 million were recalled in August for the same reason.

Last month about a million Fisher-Price toys were recalled when dangerous levels of lead were found in the paint — the sixth recall for this reason made by various toy companies this year alone.