CHINA has made a “quantum leap” in its crackdown on exports of unsafe toys and will not face a ban by the European Union on any of its products for now, the EU’s consumer chief is expected to say today.

A senior EU official also said that Consumer Protection Commissioner Meglena Kuneva would urge industry ministers at a meeting today to “step up their import checks and procedures.”

Kuneva threatened a ban if a report submitted by the Chinese authorities — to be published today — failed fully to address her concerns over the safety of toys made in China.

The Chinese report will form part of an overall review of EU toy safety standards that Kuneva announced in September following the recall of millions of toys due to excessive levels of lead paint and other unsafe components.

“The (Chinese) report shows that China has made a quantum leap and there is no need for a ban, at least not for the moment. That will be her message,” the senior European Commission official told reporters.

Kuneva would make the comments to a news conference, the official said.

“But the Chinese will be expected to come up with a similar report every three to four months which we will also check extensively.”

The issue of toy safety is due to be discussed at an EU-China summit Nov. 28.

Mattel Inc., the world’s largest toymaker — has recalled over 21 million Chinese-made products in the last four months, sparking calls by lawmakers in Europe and the United States for a ban on products made in China unless the situation improved.

“To be honest we didn’t expect such a positive response from the Chinese authorities,” another Commission official said.

“The two significant moves by China have been to increase their checks 10-fold, right down to regional level and the withdrawal of thousands of export licenses,” the official added.

With the issue of China addressed for the time being, Kuneva will now set her sights on industry and the EU’s 27 governments in a bid to restore confidence in the toy market and ease the concerns of parents ahead of Christmas.

“In her report, the commissioner will be reminding the industry of their responsibilities and that the weight of responsibility lies with the manufacturer as the first line of defense,” the senior Commission official said.(SD-Agencies)