Resolution on draft Commission implementing decision granting an authorisation for uses of bis(2-ethylhexhyl) phthalate (DEHP) under Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council
The European Parliament adopted by 603 votes to 86, with 5 abstentions, a resolution on a draft Commission Implementing Decision granting an authorisation for uses of bis(2-ethylhexhyl) phthalate (DEHP) under Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
The European Commission proposed, in a draft Decision which requires the agreement of the Council of Ministers, to authorise the recycling of old plastics containing it into new PVC products.
To recall, DEHP is included in Annex XIV to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (the REACH Regulation) because of its classification as a category 1B substance that is toxic to reproduction.
In its resolution, Parliament recalled that DEHP has been shown to adversely affect the endocrine system of mammals primarily through in vivo findings on reduced foetal testosterone. Scientific evidence on DEHP shows that exposure during sensitive time windows of development may cause irreversible developmental programming effects leading to severe effects on development and reproduction, regarded as particularly serious in relation to human health and wildlife species.
Members also considered it unacceptable to tolerate potentially numerous cases of male infertility simply to allow soft PVC recyclers and downstream users to save costs in the production of low-value articles so as to compete with low-quality imports.
In its resolution of 9 July 2015, Parliament
Parliament stressed in its resolution of 9 July 2015, that recycling should not justify the perpetuation of the use of hazardous legacy substances. However, DEHP is a legacy substance, and has also been recognised as such by the industry concerned.
Moreover, Members are concerned that according to the opinion of the Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC), based on the information provided in the applications, applicants did not demonstrate that the risks to workers’ health from the uses applied for were adequately controlled in accordance with the REACH Regulation.
In this regard, Parliament considered that the draft Commission implementing decision exceeds the implementing powers provided for in Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006. It called on the Commission to withdraw its draft implementing decision and to submit a new draft rejecting the applications for authorisation for the formulation of recycled soft PVC containing DEHP.
Lastly, the Commission is called upon to swiftly end the use of DEHP in all remaining applications, all the more so because safer alternatives to soft PVC and to DEHP are widely available.