G/TBT/N/EU/242  
 
25 September 2014  
(14-5378)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION 
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6 
 
1. Notifying Member: EUROPEAN UNION 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):    
2. Agency responsible: European Commission 
Name and address (including telephon e and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above : 
European Commission 
EU-TBT Enquiry Point 
Fax:  +(32) 2 299 80 43 E-mail:  eu-tbt@ec.europa.eu   
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/tbt/  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applic able, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in  addition, where applicable): Lead and lead 
compounds in articles supplied to the general public which may during normal or reasonably 
foreseeable conditions of use be placed in the mouth by children 
5. Title, number of pages and langua ge(s) of the notified document: Draft Commission 
Regulation amending Annex XVII to Regula tion (EC) No 1907/2 006 of the European 
Parliament and of the Council on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) as regards lead and its compounds (4 pages + Annex 3 pages, in English) 
6. Description of content: The draft Regulation prohibits th e placing on the market and use 
of articles supplied to the general public which may during normal or reasonably 
foreseeable conditions of use be placed in the mouth by children if these articles, or their 
parts, contain lead (expressed as metal) in a concentration equal to or greater than 0.05% 
by weight. A number of exemptions are provided for and, as an alternative to the lead 
content limit, a migration limit of 0.05 µg/cm2 is also established.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable: 
Repeated exposure to lead from mouthing of articles containing lead or its compounds can 
result in severe and irreversible neurobehavioural and neurodevelopmental effects to which children are particularly sensitive. Lead and its compounds may be present in consumer articles as intentionally added metallic lead, as an impurity or additive of metal 
alloys (particularly in brass), as pigments, and as a stabiliser in polymers (particularly in 
PVC). G/TBT/N/EU/242 
 
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  8. Relevant documents:  
 Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the Europe an Parliament and of the Council on the 
Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH 
Regulation) 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?qid=1411048663691&uri=CELEX:02006R1907-20140410  
 The opinions of the Committees for Risk Assessment (RAC) and Socio-economic 
Analysis (SEAC):  http://echa.europa.eu/docu ments/10162/f5a59251-8ef0-4f44-
bfd4-95bffca7f807  
9. Proposed date of adoption:   Second quarter 2015 
Proposed date of entry into force:   Second quarter 2016   
10. Final date for comments: 60 days from notification 
11. Texts available from: National enquiry point [  ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:  
European Commission 
EU-TBT Enquiry Point 
Fax:  + (32) 2 299 80 43 
E-mail:  eu-tbt@ec.europa.eu   
 
The text is available on the EU-TBT Website:  http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/tbt/   
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2014/tbt/eec/14_4233_00_e.pdf  
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2014/tbt/eec/14_4233_01_e.pdf