In an article published on July 12, 2018, by regulatory news provider Chemical Watch, editor Luke Buxton informed that at the REACH Committee meeting on July 11, 2018, EU Member States have voted in favor of a proposal to restrict four phthalates in consumer articles. The proposal concerns bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP, CAS 117-81-7), dibutyl phthalate (DBP, CAS 84-74-2), diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP, CAS 84-69-5), and benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP, CAS 85-68-7) (FPF reported).
The European Commission’s (EC) press release informed that “consumers can be exposed to one of these phthalates or to their combination through different sources, such as ingesting food and dust, placing articles in the mouth, breathing in air and dust indoors, and by dust and articles getting in contact with mucous membranes and skin.” The restriction states that “the four phthalates may not be present in articles used by consumers or available in indoor areas in a concentration equal to or above 0.1% by weight individually or in any combination in any plasticized material.” Before its adoption by the EC, the measure will be scrutinized by the European Parliament and the Council in the next three months. Following the adoption and publication in the Official Journal of the European Union, the restriction “will apply 18 months after the entry into force to products produced both in and outside of the EU.”
Food contact materials and articles will not be covered by this restriction (FPF reported). The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is currently working on an update of a scientific opinion regarding the safety of several phthalates’ use in food contact applications (FPF reported).
Read more
Luke Buxton (July 13, 2018). “Member states back EU phthalates restriction proposal.” Chemical Watch
EC (July 11, 2018). “Daily News – 11.07.2018. Commission takes further action to improve consumer protection against toxic substances.”
PlastEurope (July 23, 2018). “Europe proposes restriction of four phthalates in consumer articles.“
