Activites

• 2006/12/27 Final act published in Official Journal
  • Directive 2006/122
  • OJ L 372 27.12.2006, p. 0032-0034
• 2006/12/12 Final act signed
• 2006/12/12 End of procedure in Parliament
• #2772
• 2006/12/11 Council Meeting
• 2006/12/11 Act adopted by Council after Parliament's 1st reading
• 2006/10/25 Results of vote in Parliament
  • Results of vote in Parliament
  • T6-0444/2006 summary

    The European Parliament adopted the resolution drafted by Carl SCHLYTER (Greens/EFA, SE) and confirmed a first-reading agreement between Parliament and Council.  The resolution was adopted by 632 votes to 10 with 20 abstentions. Under the agreement, the directive will ban the placing of PFOS on the market and their use as a substance or constituent of preparations in a concentration equal to or higher than 0.005% by mass.  It will also outlaw the sale of PFOS or their use in semi-finished products or articles, or parts thereof, if the concentration of PFOS is equal to or higher than 0.1% by mass or, for textiles or other coated materials, if the amount of PFOS is equal to or higher than 1 µg/m2 of the coated material. Under the directive, substances and preparations needed to produce photoresists or anti-reflective coatings for photolithography processes, photographic coatings applied to films, papers, or printing plates may contain PFOS in larger quantities. The same applies to suppressants for non-decorative hard chromium (VI) plating and wetting agents for use in controlled electroplating systems as well as hydraulic fluids for aviation.Regarding fire-fighting foams, the initially proposed derogation was dropped.  All new foams must be free of PFOS.  Foams that have been placed on the market before the directive enters into force can be used until 54 months after its entry into force. Two years after entry into force, Member States must compile and send to the Commission an inventory listing the processes for chromium plating subject to derogation, the amounts of PFOS used in and released into the environment, and existing stocks of fire-fighting foams.When reviewing derogations in the light of new information, the Commission must ensure that: the uses of PFOS are phased out as soon as the use of safer alternatives is technically and economically feasible; a derogation is only continued for essential uses for which safer alternatives do not exist and where it has been reported what has been undertaken to find safer alternatives; releases of PFOS into the environment have been minimised, by applying best available techniques.Lastly, the Commission will keep under review the ongoing risk assessment activities and the availability of safer alternative substances or technologies related to the uses of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and related substances and propose any measures needed to reduce identified risks, including restrictions of marketing and use, in particular when safer alternative substances or technologies which are technically and economically feasible are available.Member States will have 18 months to enact the directive in national law, i.e. up to mid-2008.

• 2006/10/24 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2006/07/19 Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading
  • A6-0251/2006
• 2006/07/13 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
• 2005/12/13 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 2005/12/05 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(2005)0618 summary

    PURPOSE : to place restrictions on the marketing and use of perfluorooctane sulfonates and amend Council Directive 76/769/EEC.PROPOSED ACT : Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council.CONTENT : Perfluorooctane sulfonates (PFOS) are anions that are commercially available in the form of salts, derivatives and polymers. The major uses for PFOS-related substances were in providing grease, oil and water resistance to materials such as textiles, carpets, paper and in general coating. The substances used in these areas were largely PFOS-polymers for fabrics and PFOS-substances for paper treatment and coatings. Other smaller volume uses are in chromium plating, photography, photolithography, fire fighting foams and in hydraulic fluids for aviation.Recent studies have shown PFOs to be persistent in the environment, bio accumulative and toxic to mammalian species.The risk assessment identified a need for reducing the risks to health and the environment from PFOS. The risk reduction strategy recommended marketing and use restrictions for certain uses. The proposed Directive would cover the great part of the exposure risks by preventing the use of PFOS in carpets, textiles, upholstery, leather, apparel, paper, packaging and other applications. These uses seem already to be phased out and the proposal would prevent their reintroduction. There are some further smaller and specific uses in chromium plating, photography, photolithography, fire fighting foams and in hydraulic fluids for aviation. The volumes used in these limited areas, and the emissions into the environment, would need to be further assessed, but they are currently expected to be very small. The advantages and disadvantages of regulating these uses would have to be subject to impact assessment.Council Directive 76/769/EEC on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to restrictions on the marketing and use of certain dangerous substances and preparationsshould therefore be amended accordingly.The objective of the Directive would be to introduce harmonised provisions with regard to PFOS, thus preserving the internal market whilst ensuring a high level of protection of human health and the environment, as required by Article 95 of the Treaty.

  • DG {'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/', 'title': 'Enterprise and Industry'}, VERHEUGEN Günter

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(2005)0618
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A6-0251/2006
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T6-0444/2006
• : Directive 2006/122
• : OJ L 372 27.12.2006, p. 0032-0034

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)