Commercial Information Circulars
24-hour hotline : 23 922 922
e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk
Ref : EIC230/2/1/7
24 February 2006
Dear Sirs,
Commercial Information Circular No. 73/2006
European Union (EU)*: Permanent Ban on the Sale of Certain Phthalate-containing Toys and Childcare Articles
Further to Commercial Information Circular No. 294/2004 of 24 November 2004, the European Commission (the Commission) has adopted a Directive on permanent ban on the sale of certain phthalate-containing toys and childcare articles. Details are set out in Directive 2005/84/EC (the Directive), a copy of which is attached (pdf format) to this circular for reference.
DETAILS
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Under the provisions of the Directive, toys and childcare articles shall be forbidden and shall not be placed on the EU market if phthalates DEHP, DBP and BBP occur in concentrations exceeding 0.1% by mass of the plasticised parts of the item. This also applies to toys and childcare articles, the plasticised parts of which contain phthalates DINP, DIDP and DNOP in concentrations exceeding the same limit, if those articles can be placed in the mouth by children.
- Member States shall apply the measures under the Directive from 16 January 2007. The Commission is required to re-evaluate the Directive by 16 January 2010 at the latest.
ENQUIRIES
- For enquiries about the content of this circular, please contact the undersigned at telephone number 2398 5684.
Yours faithfully,
(Miss Wendy WAN)
for Director-General of Trade and Industry
* The EU includes Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
- While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the above information, the Department cannot guarantee this to be so and will not be held liable for any reliance placed on the same.