” “Two parallel initiatives are under way at the EU Parliament for the protection of the consumers and businesses of the 27 EU member states. Tomorrow, the commissioner in charge of consumer protection, Megleva Kuneva, will report to the Domestic Market Committee of the Assembly about the products made in China, which are increasingly being sold on the continental markets. In particular, the report will have to address the problem of safe toys: toys made within the EU now bear the "EC" mark, which means the manufacturer complies with the EU safety standards. The EU Commission might ask that a procedure should be opened to develop a EU mark for products manufactured according to the safety standards established by the European Union; at the same time, toys from other countries should bear the name of the country of origin and should be tested for safety. The problem received wide coverage after millions of Mattel toys that had been made in China were withdrawn from the market. The MEPs are still canvassing for a written declaration in support of the Regulations launched by the EU Commission in 2005, to introduce a compulsory mark for imported products in the areas of: textile and clothing, footwear, furniture, ceramics, jewellery. (continued)” “
