EU checks find most remote-controlled toys fail interference rules

A EU-funded inspection of 88 remote-controlled toys for children ages 3 to 14 found 53 products, or 60%, failed EU interference standards. The findings led to sales bans, corrective actions and new warnings for consumers and traders across 13 countries. Why it matters: - Signal interference from toys can disrupt communications services, including systems used for navigation and safety. - The findings show a broad compliance problem in low-cost connected toys sold across Europe. - The inspection covered products with an average price of 40 EUR, making the issue relevant to mass-market consumer goods. What happened: - The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) organized a EU-funded check of 88 remote-controlled toys for children ages 3 to 14. - Fifty-three products, or 60%, did not meet EU interference standards. - The review covered remote-controlled vehicles, walkie-talkies and children’s laptops, electronic pets, robots, music players and speakers. - Two-thirds of the samples were bought online, and the rest were purchased in brick-and-mortar stores. - Market surveillance authorities collected the samples from 13 countries: Belgium, France, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland, Slovakia, Czechia and Cyprus. The details: - Defects were found in 36 of 50 remote-controlled vehicles. - All 16 boats and trains failed. - Fourteen of 16 walkie-talkies and smart toys failed. - Three of six radio toys that do not operate in the 2.4 GHz band failed. - One major source of interference was spurious emissions, or signals generated outside the required bandwidth. - Another source was radiated power, which is the strength of a transmitter’s signal in a given direction. - When radiated power exceeds certain limits, the signal can interfere with other devices. - In addition to lab testing against applicable standards, authorities checked whether samples carried the required warnings, markings and instructions. - Sixty-one samples, or 63%, were found non-compliant on labeling and documentation grounds. - Taken together with the laboratory results, 71 samples, or 81%, failed to meet the requirements. - About one-third of the samples were made in China, while the rest came from the EU, the U.S., the U.K. and Taiwan. Between the lines: - The results point to a two-part compliance problem: technical radio interference failures and missing or incomplete consumer information. - Because the testing involved products sold through both online and physical retail channels, the issue is not limited to one sales format. - The scale of non-compliance suggests market surveillance is still catching unsafe products before or after they reach consumers. - The campaign is part of Joint Actions on Compliance of Products 2025, which covers the EU and EFTA countries and aims to harmonize enforcement methods. What’s next: - Investigations into the defects are ongoing. - Market surveillance authorities have asked traders tied to seven products to change or improve those products. - Authorities have imposed sales bans on 22 products. - Fifty-eight non-compliant products have been entered into the EU’s Information and Communication System for Market Surveillance so authorities can share findings and coordinate enforcement. - Consumers are being advised to avoid toys without a CE mark and to check that instructions and safety notices are available in their country’s official language or languages. - Traders are being told to verify applicable laws, keep technical documentation complete and available, and ensure the manufacturer used the correct conformity assessment procedure. The bottom line: - EU checks found widespread interference and labeling failures in remote-controlled toys, triggering bans, corrective actions and tighter scrutiny across the single market. - Vanessa Capurso of DG GROW said market surveillance campaigns help protect companies from unfair competition and help ensure products sold in the single market are safe for consumers. - More information is available in the EU market surveillance resources .