European Parliament demands full ban  on soft PVC toys

Brussels, 7 July 2000 - Greenpeace welcomed yesterday's   European Parliament plenary vote to permanently ban the  use of all phthalate-softeners in all soft PVC toys and  childcare articles which can be put in the mouth by children.  This vote should pave the way for such a ban EU-wide – a   ban which has so far been opposed by a few Member  States, such as the United Kingdom, Spain and the  Netherlands, against a majority of countries that have   already taken national action to protect small children from  such PVC products (1).

The Parliament voted on a proposal by the European  Commission to harmonise EU legislation governing  phthalates in soft PVC toys and childcare articles for   children under three. Members of the European Parliament  decided to significantly strengthen the Commission's  proposal, going well beyond what the most progressive  Member States have decided so far. The plenary demanded  that all phthalates in all soft PVC toys and childcare articles  which can be put into the mouth be banned and that  phthalate-containing soft PVC toys and childcare articles   for children between the ages of three and six carry a  health warning label.

"We are glad to see the clear stance of the Parliamentarians  - it's babies first, and not the profits of the petrochemical  industry", said Axel Singhofen, Greenpeace EU Toxics  Advisor. "The message is simple - toys should not contain   hazardous substances" (2).

Furthermore, the European Commission accepted the  demand of the European Parliament to take account of  children's exposure to phthalates from other soft PVC   products such as PVC flooring and packaging in the review  of the provisions, and to study other PVC products which  may expose people to risks, especially PVC articles in  health care.

"The European Parliament and the European Commission  have understood that phthalates in PVC toys are just the tip  of the iceberg - the dangers of soft PVC lurk everywhere:  from PVC flooring and PVC packaging to PVC health care   products", said Axel Singhofen. The commitment of the Commission to study the direct health  dangers from soft PVC products comes on the heels of  recently published Commission studies on the problems of  PVC waste disposal. These studies had found i.a. that  incineration of PVC in most cases leaves behind more   hazardous waste than was actually put into the incinerator,  that softeners will be released when PVC is landfilled and  that recycling will not contribute significantly to the  management of PVC post- consumer wastes in the next   decades (3).

The issue will now go to Council which has to decide on a  Common Position. The Portuguese Presidency had tried to  push for the approach favoured by industry, which is to  regulate soft PVC toys via limits on the migration of the  hazardous softeners. This approach had failed to get  support, as the many countries that have already taken  restrictive action did not want to compromise their national   level of health protection. This approach was also clearly  rejected by the European Parliament.

"The ball is now in the court of the Council - we call on the  incoming French Presidency not to play with the health of  children and to adopt the position of the European  Parliament", said Axel Singhofen

For information: Axel Singhofen, EU Toxics Advisor, +32-496-163365 or 32-  2- 2801987

Notes (1) Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Sweden  have adopted national bans; Belgium announced a national ban.

(2) Soft PVC toys contain large amounts of hazardous softeners  (10- 40% of the final product weight). These substances are known  to cause damage to liver, kidney and testicles in animals and are  known to leach from the toys, especially when a young child chews  and sucks on them. They represent a completely unnecessary   source of exposure to hazardous chemicals during a particularly  vulnerable phase in life, given that toys made from alternative  materials which do not require the addition of softeners (e.g. other  plastics, rubber, textiles) have been widely available for many  years.

GREEN PAPER - Environmental issues of PVC

On 26 July 2000 the European Commission adopted  a Green Paper on environmental issues of PVC.

The Green Paper is mainly based on the results of a comprehensive study programme launched by the Commission in 1999-2000, which examines all relevant aspects. Studies were dealing with mechanical recycling, chemical recycling, landfill, incineration, and the economic implications of a diversion of PVC waste from incineration. They can be found at the following address: http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/waste/facts_en.htm