According to the web page of the Danish Ministry of the Environment, phthalates will not be banned by December 2013 but the ban will be delayed until 2015. The Danish Environment Minister Pia Olsen Dhyr admitted in a press release published May 29, 2013 that the four phthalates under discussion were much more widely used than originally anticipated and that therefore a phase out as early as planned would be impossible for manufacturers. During the dialogue with the Danish Ministry of the Environment the industry agreed to actively support an EU wide ban of the four phthalates, prepare guidelines that allow consumers to better avoid products containing phthalates and elucidate options to label those products not containing the phthalates.
The phthalates in question are di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) and benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP). They have been associated with undescended testes, infertility, obesity, and other endocrine related endpoints. The ban aims to improve public health in Denmark by removing the recognized endocrine disruptors from consumer products including shower curtains, vinyl floor tiles, cables and wires.
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