Permanent EU Ban on Phthalates in Children Articles

Producers and importers in all 25 EU Member States have to finally live with the new EU law, Directive 2005/84/EC amending for the 22nd time Directive 76/769/EEC. The Directive provisions will have to be respected by manufacturers and importers alike from 16 January 2007.

The new Directive firstly defines "childcare article", which means "any product intended to facilitate sleep, relaxation, hygiene, the feeding of children or sucking on the part of children."

The Annex to Directive 2005/84/EC restricts the use of phthalates commonly referred to as DEHP, DBP and BBP at concentrations of greater than 0.1% in toys and childcare articles which can be placed in the mouth of children. Such toys and childcare articles shall not be placed on the EU market.  

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