Costumes, fancy dress and party goods

• Directive 2009/48/EC — Toy Safety for children's costumes
• Regulation (EU) 2023/988 — GPSR
• Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 — textile labelling
• Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 — REACH

Who has to appoint one

Manufacturers and sellers outside the Union placing costumes and party goods on the EU market. Children's fancy dress is a toy under Directive 2009/48/EC, which surprises sellers who treat it as clothing, and flammability is the decisive hazard.

Thresholds and exemptions

None. Costumes for children under 14 for play are toys regardless of price, and adult costumes remain consumer products under GPSR.

What must appear on the label

For children's costumes: CE marking, manufacturer and EU operator details, age marking, batch identification and the Annex V warnings including the keep away from fire warning. Fibre composition under the textile Regulation. Latex balloons carry a mandatory choking warning for children under eight.

Marketplace fields

Seasonal enforcement sweeps target this category every autumn, and flammability failures produce Safety Gate alerts. Marketplaces remove costumes without the fire warning.

Documentation you must hold

Safety assessment covering flammability, small parts, cords and chemical migration, technical documentation, test reports and the declaration of conformity. Traceability records for the production batch.

Standards and testing

EN 71-2 flammability, which for costumes is the critical test, EN 71-1 for small parts and cords, EN 71-3 for chemical migration from masks and accessories, and phthalate limits under REACH for soft plastic components.

Language requirements

Warnings and age information in the language of each member state of sale.

When it applies

Before the product is made available, which for a seasonal category means before the listing goes live in the buying season.

How long records are kept

Ten years.

What happens if you do not comply

Recall and Safety Gate alerts, with flammability failures treated as serious risk. Costume fires involving children have driven both enforcement and voluntary industry standards stricter than the legal minimum.

Who enforces it

Market surveillance authorities and customs, with coordinated seasonal sweeps.

Where the boundary lies

A child's costume is a toy; an adult costume is a consumer product; a costume mask that filters air could raise PPE questions if protective claims are made. Latex balloons and party accessories carry their own specific warnings independent of the costume rules.

Questions we are asked

Are children's costumes really toys?

Yes, fancy dress intended for play by children under 14 falls under the Toy Safety Directive, with CE marking and EN 71-2 flammability testing.

Do balloons need a warning?

Latex balloons require the choking warning for children under eight, and this is one of the most frequently cited omissions in the category.