Dangerous substances: marketing and use of pentaBDE in polyurethane foam (24th amend. Directive 76/769/EEC)

The Conciliation Committee reached agreement on measures regarding octaBDE and decaBDE. As the risk assessment for octaBDE had been concluded at the beginning of September 2002 and had revealed definite risks for the environment and human health, the Council finally agreed to Parliament's wish that the present legislative proposal should include a ban on octaBDE, thereby enabling these substances to be phased out earlier rather than being the subject of a separate legislative proposal. However, with regard to decaBDE, the conclusions of the risk assessment had indicated that there was a need for further information and/or testing. It had revealed a number of uncertainties concerning possible effects on the environment and there was therefore a need for a risk reduction strategy to be established without delay. As the results of this strategy would be available only in June 2003, it was agreed to include a recital in the directive calling on the Commission to assess them immediately they were available and to propose "appropriate and strict measures to address risks identified".�