A new industry survey has found that unsafe toys continue to flood Europe’s online marketplaces, despite growing political pressure and promises of tighter enforcement from regulators.
Toy Industries of Europe (TIE), the continent’s leading toy safety association, reported on Wednesday that 86% of toys purchased online posed safety risks, based on extensive laboratory testing. The findings mark a troubling increase from 80% in last year’s assessment — and many of the same hazardous products remain openly available for sale.
Toxic Slime, Loose Batteries, and Choking Hazards
Across the 70 toys examined, experts identified a range of serious safety failures, including:
- Toxic chemicals found in children’s slime;
- Baby rattles with detachable bells that could be swallowed;
- Dolls with small batteries and magnets that came loose easily, posing life-threatening internal injury risks.
TIE sourced the toys from seven major platforms known for hosting third-party sellers: AliExpress, Amazon Marketplace, Cdiscount, Fruugo, Joom, Shein, and Temu. Most items were shipped directly to EU customers from outside the bloc, often from China.
Loopholes and “Unenforceable” Safety Rules
Under current EU law, online marketplaces are not held legally responsible for dangerous goods sold by independent retailers. TIE argues this loophole enables unsafe products to circulate with little consequence for sellers.
Although new EU rules require a “responsible economic operator” within the bloc for non-EU products, TIE says the measure has made no practical difference. The group identified toys with blatantly false or inconsistent seller information, such as:
- A London address listed under France;
- A Paris address registered in Germany with a Belgian phone number.
“What is illegal offline is equally illegal online, yet when sellers are based outside the EU, there is often no one who can be held accountable,” said Catherine Van Reeth, TIE’s director-general. She added that current legislation contains “serious loopholes” that ultimately benefit “rogue traders” — leaving children exposed and reputable companies at a disadvantage.
EU Customs Facing 4.6 Billion Parcels a Year
Europe is struggling to manage the surge of small parcels entering the bloc — more than 4.6 billion annually, 90% of which come from China. The sheer volume makes thorough inspections nearly impossible.
Starting next year, the EU will begin imposing customs fees on all incoming packages, ending an exemption for low-value shipments. Additional handling fees are likely in several member states as part of an effort to make ultra-cheap imports less attractive. A unified EU-wide fee is expected by 2028.
France has already taken more drastic measures, banning Shein after authorities discovered items such as knives and childlike sex dolls being sold on its marketplace.
Platforms Respond, Promise Investigations
Most platforms named in the survey issued statements defending their safety policies and pledging to investigate the specific products flagged by TIE:
- AliExpress said it takes safety “very seriously” and will remove listings that violate its compliance standards.
- Temu said it “strictly prohibits” non-compliant items and is reviewing the findings.
- Amazon said the highlighted products had already been removed and that its investigation is ongoing.
- Shein stated it had removed the products while reviewing vendor compliance.
- Cdiscount, Fruugo, and others emphasised their moderation systems and cooperation with EU regulators.
Joom did not respond to requests for comment.
Customs Alone Cannot Solve the Problem
Experts warn that enforcement challenges will persist unless the EU strengthens liability rules for sellers targeting European consumers.
“Customs can only be part of the solution when volumes are so high,” said Anna Jerzewska, global customs director at logistics giant DSV. “You need a lot of measures. And you need someone with genuine product liability in the EU.”
