Brussels - European Union states on Monday expanded the list of substances they would not tolerate in toys sold in Europe, in a bid to reassure citizens spooked by a series of high-level scandals.

It is "necessary to adopt new essential safety requirements. ... The use of dangerous substances, in particular substances that are classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction (CMR), and allergenic substances and certain metals, should be subject to careful attention," the law approved by EU states runs.

The rules approved Monday tighten the EU's limits for toys containing allergens such as Alanroot oil and fig leaves, and dangerous elements such as arsenic, cobalt and nickel.

They also oblige manufacturers to improve the visibility of warnings such as choking hazards and age limitations on their products' packaging.

The move is the latest EU response to a series of toy-safety scares which have hit the bloc in recent years.

In the highest-profile example, toy-makers Mattel and Fisher-Price in the summer of 2007 were forced to withdraw millions of Chinese- made toys from shelves around the world after it was found that some contained lead paint and others included mini-magnets which could be fatal if swallowed.