SG 094/26
The United Kingdom (UK) notifies the World Trade Organization (WTO) of its draft legislation to allow the use of cobalt in certain toy applications for Great Britain.
In June 2026, the WTO announced a draft law from the UK’s Department for Business and Trade (DBT) to revise The Toys (Safety) Regulation 2011 (‘the Toys Regulation’, S.I. 2011 No 1881) in relation to Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales).
What does this draft regulation require?
The draft of The Toys (Safety) (Permitted Uses for Cobalt) (England and Wales and Scotland) Regulations 2026, attached to WTO document no. 26-4675, amends Appendix A of Part 6 to Schedule 2 of the Toys Regulation by adding an entry for cobalt (see Table 1).
| Substance | Permitted use |
|---|---|
| Cobalt¹ |
|
| ¹Classification: carcinogenic 1B (Carc 1B), mutagenic 2 (Muta 2) and reprotoxic 1B (Repr 1B) | |
Table 1. List of CMR substances and their permitted uses
Who is impacted?
The proposed amendment impacts stakeholders in Great Britain’s toys supply chain, including manufacturers, importers, distributors, retailers and other intermediaries.
When does it apply?
The amendment is intended to enter into force on March 8, 2027.
It is important to note that the European Union has authorized the use of cobalt in the three specified toy applications listed in Table 1 above (SafeGuardS 14/26).
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