. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/Notif.99/578
23 November 1999
(99-5084)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   EUROPEAN COMMUNITY
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:   European Commission
Agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification shall be
indicated if different from above:   EC-TBT Enquiry Point
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [     ], 2.10.1 [ X], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [    ], other:           
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   Toys and childcare
articles made of, or in part made of, soft PVC containing more than 0.1 % by weight of one
or more of the following substances:
- di-"isononyl" phthalate (DINP) CAS n° 28553-12-0 EINECS N° 249-079-5
- bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) CAS N° 117-81-7 EINECS N° 204-211-0
- dioctyl phthalate (DNOP) CAS N° 117-84-0 EINECS N° 204-214-7
- di- "isodecyl" phthalate (DIDP) CAS N° 26761-40-0  EINECS N° 247-977-1- benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) CAS N° 85-68-7 EINECS N° 201-622-7
- dibutyl phthalate (DPB) CAS N° 84-74-2 EINECS N° 201-557-4
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Proposal for a
COMMISSION DECISION of ( 1 December 1999)  adopting measures prohibiting the
placing on the market of toys and childcare articles intended to be placed in the mouth by
children under three years of age made of soft PVC containing one or more of the
substances Di-iso-nonyl phthalate (DINP), Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), Dibutyl
phthalate (DBP), Di-iso-decyl phthalate (DIDP), Di-n-octyl phthalate (DNOP), and
Butylbenzyl phthalate (BBP);  7 pages in 11 languages (English, French, German, Spanish,
Portuguese, Italian, Greek, Finnish, Swedish, Dutch, Danish)
6. Description of content:   1.  Commission Decision under Article 9 of Directive 92/59/EEC
(General Product Safety), prohibiting the placing on the market of toys and childcare
articles intending for mouthing by children under three years of age, made or including parts
of soft PVC containing one or more of the six phthalates DINP, DEHP, DBP, DIDP,
DNOP, BBP.  The Decision has a validity of three months and is renewable.G/TBT/Notif.99/578
Page 2
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
The objective is to ensure as a matter of urgency a consistent and high level of protection of
child health throughout the EU for toys and childcare articles intended to be put in the
mouth by young children, which pose a serious and immediate risk.  The Decision is meantto provide immediate protection in respect to the risk concerned for as long as the
decision-making process concerning the broader harmonized measures is completed, and
until such measures are fully implemented, and for as long as the grounds for this decision,
scientific and other, remain valid.
8. Relevant documents:   Directive 92/59/EEC General Product Safety
9. Proposed date of adoption:  1 December 1999
Proposed date of entry into force:  10 December 1999
10. Final date for comments:   n.a.
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ X] or address, e-mail and telefax
number of the other body:
EC TBT Enquiry Point, DG III/B/4
Fax: +32 2 299 57.25
Email: EC-TBT@cec.eu.int