WRITTEN QUESTION E-2546/01 by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission. The dangers posed by plastic toys inside chocolate eggs.
Date: 2001-09-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU Member State, accident in the home, child, confectionery product, exchange of information, product safety, toy industry

C 81 E/190

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.4.2002

(2002/C 81 E/223)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2546/01

by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission

(19 September 2001)

Subject: The dangers posed by plastic toys inside chocolate eggs

Is the Commission aware that in spite of rules governing the safety of toys throughout the Member States,
the sale of some brands of chocolate eggs concealing small plastic toys in kit form continues unchecked?
Many children have required medical attention as a result of choking on these small parts and some have
even died.

Does the Commission have any plans to rectify this hazardous situation?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(24 October 2001)

The Commissioner would refer the Honourable Member to the Commission replies to Written Questions
E-2479/97 by Mr Whitehead (1), E-3085/97 by Mr Apolinario (2), E-3813/97 by Mrs Graenitz (3),
E-2630/00 by Mr Moreira da Silva (4), E-2631/00 by Mrs Damiªo (4), E-2632/00 by Mr Lage (4) to the
reply to oral question H-654-01 by Mrs Malliori during question time at Parliament(cid:146)s September 2001
part-session (5) and to the result of Petition No 280/99 on the subject of toys contained in foodstuff.

The products in question (non-food products accompanying food products in a separate packaging) are
not specifically covered by Council Directive 88/378/EEC of 3 May 1988, on the safety of toys (6),
although Council Directive 92/59/EEC of 29 June 1992 on general product safety is applicable in relation
to possible risks. The Emergencies Committee set up under Article 8 of Directive 92/59/EEC on general
product safety concluded among others on 16 May 2000 that (cid:145)In the light of the information available to
date, the risk associated with non-food products accompanying food products in a separate packaging
seem to be no different to those presented by small toys in general or by toys containing small parts in
general. The current available data provide no evidence of a specific risk factor linked to the (cid:147)association(cid:148),
when the packaging is distinct. The risk seems to depend on the characteristics of the non-food product
itself, notably those associated with small size or the size of its parts, or its packaging(cid:146).

The Commission has requested Member States to report any new or additional data concerning any
accidents, whether fatal or not, caused by toys associated with food. None of the 11 Members States that
has replied has provided any new data in relation to toys in food, in addition to that submitted already to
the Emergencies Committee. The Commission will continue to keep this question under review.

(1) OJ C 82, 17.3.1998.
(2) OJ C 102, 3.4.1998.
(3) OJ C 196, 22.6.1998.
(4) OJ C 136 E, 8.5.2001.
(5) Written reply, 4.9.2001.
(6) OJ L 187, 16.7.1988.

(2002/C 81 E/224)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2571/01

by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: European Research Advisory Board

(21 September 2001)

In answer to my question E-1704/01 (1) Mr Busquin stated that (cid:145)(cid:133) to help with advice on the overall
balance of research topics, the Commission [had] recently established the European Research Advisory
Board which could be called on to help with such advice(cid:146).