Great Britain Permits Specific Uses of Cobalt in Toys
Reference source : UK Parliament
On 7 September 2026, the UK Government adopted the Toys (Safety) (Permitted Uses for Cobalt) (England and Wales and Scotland) Regulations 2026, allowing the presence of cobalt in toys and toy components for certain specified uses. The regulations will enter into force on 8 March 2027.
Permitted Uses
Cobalt is classified under the GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging (GB CLP) Regulation as a Category 1B carcinogen, a Category 2 mutagen and a Category 1B reproductive toxicant. Its presence in toys is therefore generally prohibited above specified concentrations. The new exemptions permit cobalt in the following instances:
- As an impurity in the nickel contained in stainless-steel toys and toy components.
- In toy components intended to conduct an electric current.
- In neodymium-based magnets used in toys, provided the magnets cannot be swallowed or inhaled.
The new exemptions do not remove the requirement to comply with the applicable migration limits for cobalt.
Scientific Assessment Supports Exemptions
The exemptions follow a scientific assessment which concluded that cobalt presents a tolerable level of risk for the specified uses. The government also determined that cobalt is not prohibited in consumer articles under UK REACH, and that there are no suitable alternative substances or mixtures available.
The same exemptions already apply in the EU and, under the Windsor Framework, in Northern Ireland. The amendment therefore aligns the rules in Great Britain with those in Northern Ireland. It also updates the reference to the EU Toy Safety Directive for the continued recognition of CE-marked toys in Great Britain.