Dan Neville
Question:103 Mr. Neville asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when she will ratify the EU Directive on the banning of toys containing phthalates. [24084/99]
Written Answers. - EU Directives.
I expect the Deputy is referring to the consideration currently being given to banning the use of phthalates in certain child care articles and toys.
Under the provisions of the General Product Safety Directive, the Commission, on 10 November 1999, put forward a proposal to ban the use of phthalates in child care articles and toys which are intended to be put in the mouth. This proposal was considered on 22 November by the emergencies committee set up under this directive.
At the meeting, at which Ireland was represented by the Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs, there was wide consensus among the member states on the objective of eliminating immediately phthalates from toys which are intended to be put in the mouth. However, the committee had before it additional information which had been received the previous Friday. A letter was received by Commissioner David Byrne from the Association of European Toy Manufacturing Industries proposing to implement the full scope of the emergency ban on a voluntary basis. Certain members of the Scientific Committee for Toxicity, Ecotoxicity and Environment had expressed in a letter to the Commission disagreement on the proposal.
The emergencies committee decided, therefore, to postpone a decision until further clarifications on these developments can be obtained. In this regard, it is necessary to establish whether a voluntary measure would be a practicable and effective alternative to an emergency ban. Member states also asked for further clarification on whether the emergency clauses in the General Product Safety Directive, which form the legal base for the Commission proposal, would be applicable.
The European Commission has undertaken to provide these clarifications whilst making clear that a quick solution has to be found. I understand that the committee is expected to meet again very shortly, most probably within the next ten days.