. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/SWE/59 
23 November 2005 
 (05-5527) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   SWEDEN
 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:   Ministry of Sustainable Development 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site 
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be  indicated if different from above:    
Kommerskollegium (National Board of Trade) 
Box 6803 S-113 86 STOCKHOLM 
Telephone: (+46) 8 690 48 00 
Fax:  (+46) 8 690 48 40 
E-mail
:  registrator@kommers.se 
Web-site: www.kommers.se 
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 applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in  addition, where applicable):    
Deca-bromo diphenylether (decaBDE) 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Proposal for an 
ordinance concerning amendment of the ordina nce on Prohibition etc. in Certain Cases in 
Connection with Handling, Importation and Exportation of Chemical Products (1998:944), 
(2 pages, in Swedish) 
6. Description of content:   The proposal entails that decaBDE shall not be placed on the 
Swedish market or used as a s ubstance or an ingredient in a substance or preparation in 
concentrations exceeding 0,1 percent by weight.  Articles, or flame-protected components 
thereof, containing decaBDE in concentrations exceeding 0,1 percent by weight shall not be 
placed on the Swedish market.  The prohibitions  do not apply to motor vehicles, or to 
electrical and electronic equipment.  The Swedish Chemicals Inspectorate may issue regulations on exceptions from the ban, if th ere are special reasons for doing that.  The 
Inspectorate may also, until 31 December 2009, grant exceptions from the ban on a case-to-case basis if there are particular reasons. G/TBT/N/SWE/59 
Page 2  
 
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
The assessment of the environmental and health risks of deca-bromo diphenylether 
(decaBDE) carried out within the EU programme of existing substances and published by United Kingdom in 2002 shows that de caBDE is considered to be very persistent.  There are 
also indications that decaBDE could interfe re with the development of the brain and 
suspicions that decaBDE may have bioaccumu lative effects.  DecaBDE has been found in 
the blood and breast milk of humans.  Moreove r, decaBDE has demonstrated the ability to 
degrade into lower brominated diphenylethers in the environment and in living organisms. 
In the revised EU risk assessment from Septembe r 2005, it is concluded that there is a need 
for more information, mainly concerni ng decaBDE being a possible PBT-substance 
(Persistent, Bioaccumulative, Toxic).  On th e basis of the precautionary principle and the 
given current uncertainties, it is considered to  be appropriate to prevent further release of 
decaBDE into the environment. 
8. Relevant documents:   - 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:    1 March 2006. 
1 July 2006. 
10. Final date for comments:   1 March 2006 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body: