EU Toy Safety Regulation 2025/2509 and the Digital Product Passport

The EU Toy Safety Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2025/2509, in force since 1 January 2026 and applying from 1 August 2030: new chemical safety rules and a mandatory Digital Product Passport for toys placed on the EU market from that date.

Bas van der Pol Managing Director, co-founder Updated 9 November 2026 5 min read

Wooden toy train, stacking rings, a toy house and a knitted teal rabbit on a shelf in a child's room

What’s new?

Regulation (EU) 2025/2509 on the safety of toys replaces Directive 2009/48/EC. The Council adopted its position at first reading on 13 October 2025, the European Parliament approved it at second reading on 25 November 2025, and the regulation was signed on 26 November 2025. It was published in the Official Journal on 12 December 2025, entered into force on 1 January 2026 and applies from 1 August 2030. The goal: make toys safer, more traceable, and better aligned with today's digital and online-commerce realities.

If you sell children’s toys on the EU market, here’s what you need to know

Why the rules are changing

For years, toy safety in the EU was governed by Directive 2009/48/EC, which set safety requirements for all toys sold in the EU and is one of the strictest frameworks in the world.

However, it no longer sufficiently addressed emerging chemical risks, uneven enforcement, and challenges from online and imported products. The new Toy Safety Regulation addresses these issues.

Chemical safety and the Digital Product Passport

As the EU aims to make rules for toys stricter, the new Toy Safety Regulation raises the bar once again by strengthening protection against harmful chemicals and tightening market surveillance.

It bans or restricts a broader range of harmful substances, including the intentional use of PFAS, category 1 and 2 endocrine disruptors, bisphenols (ten of them listed by name) and allergenic fragrances.

At the heart of the reform is the Digital Product Passport, a digital record for each toy model with its identification and conformity data, reached through a data carrier on the toy, such as a QR code. Toy passports register in the same EU DPP registry that ESPR set up, live since July 2026.

The toy Digital Product Passport: what it must contain

The passport replaces the EU declaration of conformity; CE marking stays. It must contain the toy's identification with a clear colour image, the manufacturer and the responsible economic operator, the EU laws and standards the toy complies with, the CE marking and any allergenic fragrances that need labelling. Warnings and instructions may be added but must still appear on the toy or its packaging. It is kept for ten years after the toy is placed on the market, counted from the last item of the model, with a backup copy held by the DPP service provider, and its unique identifiers are registered in the EU registry set up under ESPR.

The DPP transforms how toy safety is managed by enabling:

Traceability: authorities can instantly verify who made, imported, or distributed a toy.
Transparency: consumers can access safety information before purchasing, free of charge and without registering.
Enforcement: customs and regulators can check a toy's registration against the EU registry.

Key requirements and who has to comply

The core requirements are set, and toys placed on the EU market from 1 August 2030 need a DPP. A later act can still specify technical details such as the data carrier and access rights, and the Commission's guidance for SMEs is due by 1 August 2029.

It must include product identification, manufacturer and responsible operator details and compliance data.

The DPP must be accessible before purchase, including for online listings
Data must remain available for ten years after the toy is placed on the market

The regulation applies to all toys designed or intended for children under 14, regardless of where the toy is made, with the exclusions listed in the regulation.

That includes:

Manufacturers and importers, both inside and outside the EU
Distributors and fulfilment providers
Online marketplaces hosting toy listings

If your toys reach EU consumers, you’re in scope.

Customs checks and online marketplaces

Customs authorities check each imported toy's registration identifier and commodity code against the EU registry, automatically, from 1 August 2030 or once the system link works, whichever is later. A passed check is not proof that the toy complies. Online marketplaces must let sellers show the CE marking, the safety warnings and the data carrier that leads to the passport before the purchase is made.

Timeline

Regulation (EU) 2025/2509 was published in the Official Journal on 12 December 2025 and entered into force on 1 January 2026.

A transition of about four and a half years runs from entry into force on 1 January 2026 to application on 1 August 2030, giving companies time to adapt their systems, update supplier data and implement DPP processes.

From 1 August 2030 the regulation applies in full, marking the shift from paper-based certification to digital compliance across the EU toy market.

Transition: toys made under the old directive

Directive 2009/48/EC is repealed from 1 August 2030. Toys that comply with it and were placed on the market before that date can still be sold. EC type-examination certificates issued under the old directive stay valid until 1 February 2031, unless they expire earlier.

Frequently asked questions

When does the EU Toy Safety Regulation apply?

From 1 August 2030. Regulation (EU) 2025/2509 entered into force on 1 January 2026, and every toy placed on the EU market from 1 August 2030 must meet it, Digital Product Passport included.

Is a Digital Product Passport mandatory for toys?

Yes. From 1 August 2030 every toy placed on the EU market needs a Digital Product Passport, normally one per toy model. It replaces the EU declaration of conformity and is kept for ten years.

Can toys made under the old Toy Safety Directive still be sold?

Yes, if they comply with Directive 2009/48/EC and were placed on the market before 1 August 2030. Certificates issued under the old directive stay valid until 1 February 2031.

Which products count as toys?

Products intended for play by children under 14, with the exclusions listed in the regulation.

Who creates the passport?

The manufacturer, per toy model, before the toy is placed on the market.

Does the passport replace CE marking or conformity assessment?

No. It replaces the EU declaration of conformity only.

What must online marketplaces display?

The CE marking, any warning and the passport link, before purchase.