A seminar was held regarding the draft technical regulation on “Safety of Toys.”

The main purpose of the seminar, which was organized by the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia and supported by the European Union, was to raise awareness on safety of toys and discuss the draft technical regulation on “Safety of Toys.”

The mentioned technical regulation is planned to enter into force by the end of 2019. During the seminar, it was noted that children are part of the most vulnerable group of the society. Therefore, it is especially important that toys that children play with are safe. The goal of the new regulation is to ensure that safe toys are placed into the Georgian market and to safeguard the safety and health of children. The regulation was prepared in accordance with the Association Agreement and the relevant EU Directive, taking into consideration the best practices of the European Union.

According to the Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, Mr. Genadi Arveladze, the implementation of the mentioned regulation is part of the obligation undertaken by Georgia within the frames of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) Agreement signed with the European Union. “We are actively consulting with the representatives of the private sector since it is extremely important to hear their opinion. We have been aware for a long time that different types of toys that come into the Georgian market can constitute a potential threat to our population, especially to the most vulnerable group - our children. Accordingly, this regulation ensures that only safe products are placed into the local market and our children only play with safe toys with high standards,” stated the Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia.

Toy manufacturers, importers and sellers, consumer protection organizations, and other interested parties attended the seminar. The representatives of the Technical and Construction Supervision Agency of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, as well as experts from the United Kingdom on the EU Product Safety and Market Surveillance prepared presentations.

The seminar was organized within the framework of the EU-funded twinning project, “Strengthening the Capacities of the Technical and Construction Supervision Agency (TCSA) in Development of the Market Surveillance System in Georgia.”