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Trade and Industry Department The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Brand Hong Kong - Asia world city
MY COLOUR

Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref : EIC 230/2/11

2 April 2012

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 254/2012

European Union (EU)* : Regulation on Detergents

Further to Commercial Information Circular No. 126/2004 dated 15 May 2004, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union have adopted a Regulation to amend Regulation (EC) No 648/2004 concerning the use of phosphates and other phosphorus compounds in consumer laundry detergents and consumer automatic dishwasher detergents. Details are set out in Regulation (EU) No 259/2012, which can be accessed through the following link:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2012:094:0016:0021:EN:PDF

DETAILS

2. Regulation (EC) No 648/2004 sets out the requirements on the biodegradability and labelling of detergents, which aims to ensure a high degree of protection of the environment and human health. In order to reduce the contribution of phosphates from detergents to eutrophication risks and to reduce the cost of phosphates removal in waste water treatment plants, it has been concluded that the use of phosphates in consumer laundry detergents and consumer automatic dishwasher detergents should be limited. Details of amendments and the limitations on the content of phosphates and of other phosphorus compounds are set out in Article 1 and Annex of this Regulation respectively.

3. By this Regulation, the EU Member States should also lay down rules on penalties applicable to infringements of Regulation (EC) No. 648/2004, as well as to provide for deferred application of the restrictions established in this Regulation so as to allow operators to reformulate their phosphate-based consumer laundry detergents and consumer automatic dishwasher detergents using alternatives during their usual reformulation cycle in order to minimise the costs.

ENQUIRIES

4. For enquiries concerning the content of this circular, please contact the undersigned at telephone number 2398 5556.

Yours faithfully,


 

(Miss Anita WONG)
for Director-General of Trade and Industry

* The EU includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.





Note ：

  • (1) 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.
  • (2)The biweekly newsletter "Business Alert - EU" of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council provides up-to-date information on the latest developments in EU trade policy and trade regulations. The newsletter is available for free e-subscription and can be accessed through
    http://www.tdctrade.com/alert/eualert.htm.