Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-09-25-Speech-2-064"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20070925.5.2-064"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, as a parent of young children myself, I find this matter highly relevant. To be honest, I do not always think about what chemicals a toy contains or what standard of safety it conforms to when I buy toys for my children. For me, it goes without saying that the toys I buy in Sweden, Brussels or Strasbourg are safe. Perhaps you think I am naive, but I am not alone. When I raided my daughter’s toy box three weeks ago and pulled out one thing and another, I asked some neighbours along my street what they thought about this when they bought toys. They all said that, as long as the items were sold in toy shops and had a CE label, they felt quite confident.
So our consumers are lulled into a false sense of security. It is now our responsibility to ensure that that sense of security does not continue to be false. I therefore appeal to the Commission to review the Toy Safety Directive as soon as possible. What can have higher priority than our children? Amongst other things, we must ensure that toys do not contain carcinogens. We must introduce a ban on all carcinogenic and other toxic substances. Many such substances accumulate in the body. Children who are exposed to them will have them in their bodies for the rest of their lives. This responsibility cannot be left to parents. We do not have the expertise. Who would buy a toy knowing that it contained carcinogens?
We must modify and strengthen the CE labelling system. Consumers today believe that the CE mark means that a product is safe, but if that is to be the case we must have a well developed system of market surveillance and a uniform testing system. We must also ensure that retailers and suppliers of unsafe products are made to bear full liability. I also welcome a review of the RAPEX system. Having talked to Swedish consumer advisers, I understand that this is a very important tool and that it is used on a routine basis. However, it is not complete until all EU countries make use of and contribute to the system to the full extent.
Finally I want to stress once again that our consumers must be given priority, for without safe and secure consumers we shall not have a flourishing internal market."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples