Magnets in toys: too little too late

Yesterday, EU Member States voted in favour of the European Commission decision to impose a mandatory warning on all magnetic toys.

Magnetic toys pose a risk to the health and safety of children if they are made from, or contain, small but often powerful magnetic pieces. If more than one piece is swallowed, the magnetic pieces can be attracted to each other and cause twisted/knotted intestines, intestinal perforation or blockage. All can be fatal. 
 
Children, under and over three years of age, have had to undergo surgery, and one fatality has been reported in the US. Accidents have been reported from all over the world and have involved children from 1 year to 12 years of age.
 
The risks arising from children swallowing small toy magnets have been known since 20021 and were brought to the attention of the Commission by the Swedish and French authorities as early as 2006. In a letter to the Commission in early 2007, consumer organisations called for immediate action to be taken by the Commission. We therefore do not consider the Commission Decision to be an 'emergency measure'.
 
ANEC and BEUC repeat their call for a complete ban on the use of strong magnets in toys until a proper safety standard is defined and implemented on the market. Although warnings are better than nothing, they do not provide sufficient protection for our children. Moreover the decision does not cover other items intended for children such as clothes or fashion jewellery, also known to have caused accidents.

The European Consumers' Organisation (BEUC) was created in 1962 by the consumer organisations of Belgium, Luxembourg, France, the Netherlands, Italy and Germany. After working together for a number of years, these organisations decided to create a European association, based in Brussels, right at the heart of Community policy. BEUC was a pioneer, one of the first lobbying organisations to set up base in the European capital in a bid to influence the decision-making process.