EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy John Dalli got in touch with his inner child this week when he visited the Playmobil Malta Ltd production facilities in Ħal Far. His visit followed an invitation by the pan-European trade association PlasticsEurope and global toymaker Playmobil.

The visit provided the Commissioner with direct insights into the plastics industry. He was shown how plastic materials are processed and converted in the production chain and how health and safety issues are observed at Playmobil Malta’s facility. For Playmobil, as well as for plastic manufacturers in general, product safety and efficient regulation in this area is of primary importance. Playmobil Malta CEO Helga Ellul explained that the company is “constantly focused on ensuring that our products meet the Toy Safety requirements and that all the necessary measures are in place for compliance with current Toy Safety legislation. Numerous awards for its products attest to Playmobil’s consistent pursuit of quality, safety and educational play value”.

With nearly 1,000 employees, Playmobil Malta is one of the island’s major employers. The company’s Ħal Far plant manufactures all the Playmobil figures (approximately 100 million figures per year) that are included in the world-renowned Playmobil play sets.

“We are delighted to give Commissioner Dalli the opportunity to obtain first-hand insights into a high-quality production process of the plastics industry” said PlasticsEurope executive director Wilfried Haensel.