Recent advocacy by The Toy Association™ has resulted in key changes to a proposed amendment to the European Union regulation on synthetic polymer microplastics (SPM), impacting toys and craft products that contain glitter.

In response to comments submitted by The Toy Association in November 2025 through the World Trade Organization’s Technical Barriers to Trade (WTO-TBT) process, the European Commission has recognized industry concerns and has revised the part of the proposed amendment to the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals) Regulation governing microplastics that would affect toys.

The Commission’s proposed amendment included changes to the 5(c) derogation, which exempts SPM that are permanently incorporated into a solid matrix during its intended end use. However, it sought to limit this exemption only to products with an “intended end-use of a duration of one year or longer” — language that raised significant concerns.

In its comments, The Toy Association emphasized that the proposed duration requirement was vague and undefined, and that the absence of a defined transition period meant that any change would come into effect 20 days after the final publication date. These would both create significant and unnecessary disruption across global supply chains.

As a result, the European Commission has made two key adjustments in response to the comments:

• Introduced a two-year transition period for changes to the 5(c) derogation, beginning from the date of final publication


• Requested updated guidance from the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to clarify what products would be impacted or exempted

While the updated guidance from ECHA will take time to be released, these changes should provide companies with additional time to adjust to the new requirements. The Toy Association will continue to monitor developments and will keep members informed as the revisions are implemented (final publication is expected in late May or early June 2026) and as updated guidance becomes available.

Members may reach out Jos Huxley, The Toy Association’s senior vice president of technical affairs, with any questions.