Cheap toys in focus: Market office warns of dangerous risks!

Cheap toys in focus: Market office warns of dangerous risks!

On July 7, 2025, the Vienna Market Office carried out a comprehensive inspection of cheap toys in the city. A total of 29 toy stores were checked and 102 samples of questionable products were taken. During this campaign, 30 reports were filed for violations of consumer protection regulations. The complaints are particularly alarming: 44 of the samples taken had defects, including easily removable buttons or eyes on stuffed animals as well as lead in paints and banned plasticizers in plastic toys. Market office director Andreas Kutheil emphasized the importance of the safety of cheap toys to protect children.

In the event of serious violations, the market office will immediately remove the goods from circulation. The controls are part of the Food Safety and Consumer Protection Act (LMSVG), which places high demands on toys in the EU. Member States are obliged to comply with minimum standards. According to consumer health.gv.at, toy products are defined as those intended for children under 14 years of age to play with.

Safety requirements for toys

The safety requirements for toys are harmonized at EU level. According to Directive 2009/48/EC, also known as the “Toys Directive”, products must meet essential safety requirements and be CE marked. The market entrepreneur must prove compliance with appropriate certificates and technical documents. Before toys can be placed on the market, an EC declaration of conformity is also required.

As part of recent developments, the European Parliament has adopted revised EU rules on toy safety. With 603 votes in favour, 5 against and 15 abstentions, the existing directive is to be converted into a directly applicable regulation. These new regulations increase safety requirements and expand the ban on certain chemicals in toys, including carcinogens, mutagenic substances, and chemicals that affect the respiratory system. Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are also no longer allowed to be contained in toys.

Digital challenges and consumer protection

A central element of the new regulations is the digital product passport, which is intended to replace the EU declaration of conformity. This passport enables improved traceability and facilitates market surveillance and customs controls. Consumers also have easier access to safety information and warnings, for example via QR codes. The new regulations also take into account toys with digital functions and their safety requirements, particularly with regard to data protection and cybersecurity.
According to europarl.europa.eu, toys are the most reported product category, accounting for 23% of all reports through the EU Safety Gate in 2022.

The market office carries out over 124,000 checks every year and accepts queries via a special market office telephone, which is available Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For anyone who would like more information, the number 4000 – 8090 is available. The protection of children and the safety of toys remains the authorities' top priority.