EN    EN  
 EUROPEAN 
COMMISSION  
Brussels, XXX   
[…](2012) XXX  draft 
  
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION 
of XXX  
extending the validity of Decision 2006/502/ EC requiring Member States to take 
measures to ensure that only lighters which are child-resistant are placed on the market 
and to prohibit the placing on the market of novelty lighters 
(Text with EEA relevance) 
  
EN 2   EN COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION 
of XXX  
extending the validity of Decision 2006/502/ EC requiring Member States to take 
measures to ensure that only lighters which are child-resistant are placed on the market 
and to prohibit the placing on the market of novelty lighters 
(Text with EEA relevance) 
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, 
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Having regard to Directive 2001/95/EC of the Eu ropean Parliament and of the Council of 3 
December 2001 on general product safety
1, and in particular Article 13 thereof, 
Whereas: (1) Commission Decision 2006/502/EC
2 requires Member States to take measures to 
ensure that only lighters which are child-re sistant are placed on the market and to 
prohibit the placing on the ma rket of novelty lighters. 
(2) Decision 2006/502/EC was adopted in accordan ce with the provisions of Article 13 of 
Directive 2001/95/EC, which re stricts the validity of th e Decision to a period not 
exceeding one year, but allows it to be c onfirmed for additional periods none of which 
shall exceed one year. 
(3) The validity of Decision 2006/502/EC was ex tended by 1-year periods, firstly by 
Commission Decision 2007/231/EC3 until 11 May 2008, secondly by Commission 
Decision 2008/322/EC4 until 11 May 2009, thirdly by Commission Decision 
2009/298/EC5 until 11 May 2010, fourthly by Commission Decision 2010/157/EU6 
until 11 May 2011, fifthly by Co mmission Decision 2011/176/EU7 until 11 May 2012, 
and sixthly by Commis sion Decision 2012/53/EU8 until 11 May 2013. 
                                                 
1 OJ L 11, 15.1.2002, p. 4. 
2 OJ L 198, 20.7.2006, p. 41. 
3 OJ L 99, 14.4.2007, p. 16. 
4 OJ L 109, 19.4.2008, p. 40. 
5 OJ L 81, 27.3.2009, p. 23. 
6 OJ L 67, 17.3.2010, p. 9. 
7 OJ L 76, 22.3.2011, p. 99. 
8 OJ L 27, 31.1.2012, p. 24.  
EN 3   EN (4) Lighters that are not child-resistant are stil l being placed on the market. Reinforced 
market surveillance activities, from targeted sampling to e ffective restrictive measures, 
should further decrease their presence. 
(5) In the absence of other satisfactory measures addressing the child safety of lighters, it 
is necessary to extend the validity of Decision 2006/502/EC  for a further 12 months. 
(6) Therefore, Decision 2006/502/EC should be amended accordingly. 
(7) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the 
Committee established by Directive 2001/95/EC, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:  
Article 1 
In Article 6 of Decision 2006/502/EC, paragr aph 2 is replaced by the following: 
‘2. This Decision shall apply until 11 May 2014.’ 
Article 2 
Member States shall take the necessary measures to comply with this Decision by 11 May 
2013 at the latest and shall publish those measures. Th ey shall forthwith inform the 
Commission thereof. On a three-monthly basi s, starting from the day this Decision is 
applicable Member States shall inform the Commission about the acti ons taken to comply 
with Article 2(1) of Decision 2006/502. 
Article 3 
This Decision is addressed to the Member States. 
Done at Brussels,  
 For the Commission 
 [T. Borg]   Member of the Commission