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...
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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 safet...
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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 pro...
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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...
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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, stipula...
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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, t...
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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.  S...
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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 purc...
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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 proje...
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