Standards
In the EU toys must have the CE mark with supplier address, and should be age labelled.The CE mark is not a toy specific safety standard.
In the UK the British Toy & Hobby Association (btha.co.uk) on 01962 852364 provide the Lion Mark for quality toys that are safe.
BTHA members supply around 95% of all toys sold in the UK. To display the Lion Mark, the supplier has signed a strict Code of Practice covering toy safety, ethics in advertising, and the problems of counterfeiting. Many major international and European companies are BTHA members.
The German TÜV safety symbol is internationally recognised. (de/en/es: TÜV.com) German toys may also use the GS (Geprüfte Sicherheit) safety symbol. An independent German Spiel Gut symbol is given only to selected toys meeting high educational, environmental and safety standards, such as not containing PCB plastics.
The Italian
In the USA toys must meet the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC.gov) standards, but there is no formal testing and no official mark on the toys to show they are approved or safe. Electric items should bear the UL label.
Toy labels can be counterfeit – fake labels exist.For more information, or to report a problem, contact your country’s authorities.