FAILURE TO ADOPT EMERGENCY BAN ON SOFT PVC TOYS PREVENTS CHILDREN'S HEALTH PROTECTION - TOXIC SOFT PVC TOYS REMAIN IN SHOPS FOR CHRISTMAS

23 November 1999

BRUSSELS -- Greenpeace denounced the European Commission and member states for delaying agreement to even a minimalist EU measure to protect babies from chewing on hazardous chemicals in soft PVC teething toys in yesterday's meeting of the Committee on Product Safety Emergencies.

The vote delay comes after the Association of European Toy Manufacturing Industries (TIE) sent a letter on 19th November to Consumer Commissioner David Byrne, announcing its willingness to voluntarily remove teething toys containing phthalates from the market

"The EU Commission and the member states are toying with children’s health by further delaying immediate EU-wide action in the run-up to Christmas", said Axel Singhofen of Greenpeace International in Brussels. "The substances used to soften PVC have been shown to cause damage to liver, kidney and testicles. To delay an emergency ban at the final hour because of a half-baked proposal from European toy manufacturers, while most of the toys come from China, shows the inability of the EU to take important decisions on public health", he added. "If the EU cannot even agree to protect babies from teething on hazardous chemicals in soft PVC toys - what can consumers expect from them on more complex health and environmental issues?"

While the European Plasticisers Lobby Group in Brussels continues to denounce any bans as 'totally unjustified', the European PVC industry is clearly divided: the Danish PVC industry has stated publicly that they think phthalates in soft PVC teething toys should be banned (1).

Furthermore, the EU Commission indicated that some members of the Scientific Committee expressed disagreement with the EU Commission's proposal in another letter to the EU Commission from 19th November 1999. This last-minute intervention comes as a complete surprise, all the more so because the Scientific Committee had been asked last year whether they thought that there was a serious and immediate risk, and had sent the ball back to the EU Commission in replying that this depended on the definitions of the EU Commission.

"You cannot first say 'not my cup of tea - up to you', and then come back criticising the decision made by those responsible", Singhofen stressed. "We call on the Commission to clarify which role individual members of the Scientific Committee are allowed to play in the Commission's decisions on risk management."

Greenpeace urged retailers to take responsibility immediately in light of the failure by the governments and clear all store shelves from soft PVC toys for children under three. Greenpeace Toxic Toy Patrols will be checking toy shops this week, determining which retailers are still selling soft PVC toys.

"Children deserve full protection from toxic chemicals," said Singhofen. "An immediate market withdrawal of all soft PVC toys and childcare articles for children under three is the only way that babies in Europe can be protected from a new round of hazardous Christmas presents - and it is the only way that retailers can preserve their reputation."

Following the suspension of the meeting of the Committee of Product Safety Emergencies, a decision has been postponed until further clarifications on these developments can be obtained.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

- Axel Singhofen, EU Adviser, Greenpeace International Toxics Campaign, Tel. +32 2 280 1987
- Teresa Meriläinen, Press Officer, Greenpeace International, Tel. +31 20 5249545
- Lisa Finaldi, Greenpeace Toxics Campaign, Tel. +1 919 828 5202

Please visit our PVC Toys site for more information.

(1) Quote from "Facts about PVC and Phthalates", November 1999, by PVC Information Council, Denmark & Plastic Industry of Denmark & Danish Industry (Greenpeace translation from Danish):

"In two areas a special precaution is justified, because the use of products with phthalates could result in people on a daily basis consuming phthalates even if it is in small amounts: That is products in contact with foodstuffs and teething toys for babies. Here it is justified - as is the case in Denmark - using the utmost precaution, to ban the use of phthalates. Not because the amounts that are released are harmful but merely because they are there".