EU: European commission adopts formaldehyde restriction in toys
In December 2018, the European Commission (EC) proposed to set limits for formaldehyde in different toy materials. The Commission finally published the Directive (EU) 2019/1929 on 20 November 2019 to amend Appendix C to the Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC by adding a new entry of formaldehyde. Appendix C only applies to toys intended for use by […]
Read more EU – Product safety rules Consumer product safety
The General Product Safety Directive EU rules on product safety are defined in the General Product Safety Directive (GPSD), which ensures that only safe products are sold on the market. Under the Directive, a product is safe if it meets all statutory safety requirements under European or national law. If there are no regulations or EU standards referenced in the Official […]
Read more EU – ECHA Publishes PFAS Restriction Proposal
On 29 February 2024, the REACH committee meeting of the European Commission saw the EU Member States vote in favor of limiting undecafluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), its salts and related substances. Originally put forth by the German authorities in 2020, the proposal was subsequently endorsed by the scientific committees of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in late […]
Read more Microplastics: Regulation and Impact in the EU
Plastics make our lives easier in many ways and are often lighter or cost less than alternative materials. However, if they are not properly disposed of or recycled, they may end up in the environment where they stay for centuries and degrade into smaller and smaller pieces. These small pieces (typically smaller than 5mm) are […]
Read more EU GPSD 2001/95/EC – Certain Children’s Products
EU – Commission Decision (EU) 2023/1338 Safety Requirements to be Met by European Standards for Certain Children’s Products Pursuant to GPSD 2001/95/EC Recently the Commission Decision (EU) 2023/1338 was published on June 30, 2023, stipulating the safety requirements to be met by European standards for certain children’s products and related products pursuant to Directive 2001/95/EC of the European Parliament […]
Read more EU – The New Obligations in Terms of the EU Product Safety Regulation
The EU Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) 1, which has now been published, will regulate the provision of non-food consumer products on the market from December 13, 2024, after the transition period has expired. The GPSR thus replaces Directive 2001/95/EC and, to a large part, the ProdSG. In this context, the term “consumer product” is defined […]
Read more ECHA’s scientific committees support restricting PAHs in granules and mulches
The Committee for Socio-economic Analysis (SEAC) has adopted its final opinion supporting the proposal for restricting eight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) found in granules and mulches used, for example, in synthetic turf pitches and playgrounds. SEAC adopted its final opinion by simple majority, supporting the proposal by the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and […]
Read more About Proposition 65
What is Proposition 65? Proposition 65 requires businesses to provide warnings to Californians about significant exposures to chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm. These chemicals can be in the products that Californians purchase, in their homes or workplaces, or that are released into the environment. By requiring that this information be […]
Read more Inspectors find phthalates in toys and asbestos in second-hand products
In an EU/EEA-wide project of ECHA’s Enforcement Forum, inspectors found hundreds of consumer products with illegal amounts of restricted chemicals. Every fifth toy inspected contained high levels of restricted phthalates. Helsinki, 13 February 2018 The project report shows a relatively high number of products on the European market containing chemicals that are restricted under REACH. […]
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