. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/EEC/253 
27 February 2009  
 (09-1019) 
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:  EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
  
If applicable, name of local governme nt involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):     
2. Agency responsible:  European Commission 
Name and address (including telephone 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 
EC-TBT Enquiry Point Fax:   +(32) 2 299 80 43 E-mail: ec-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 applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   
Lamp oils and grill lighter fluids, labelled  R65 (Harmful: may cause lung damage if 
swallowed) or H304 (May be fatal if swallowe d and enters airways), sold to the general 
public.        
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   
Draft Commission Decision amending, for the pur pose of adaptation to technical progress, 
Annex I to Council Directive 76/769/ EEC as regards restrictions on the marketing and use of 
lamp oils and grill lighter fluids (6 pages, in English). 
6. Description of content:   
This draft Commission Decision amends the exis ting restrictions on lamp oils imposed by 
earlier amendments to Directive 76/769/EEC. It will impose certain labelling and packaging 
requirements on the ma rketing of lamp oils and grill lighter  fluids, labelled R65 or H304, for 
supply to the general public. The measures will become effect ive by December 2010.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:   
The accidental ingestion of lamp  oils and grill lighters labelled  R65 or H304 has been found 
to pose a risk to human health, particularly for small children (e.g. leading to serious cases of 
chemical pneumonia, even fatalities). This pr oposal intends to reduce the overall risk to 
human health.  G/TBT/N/EEC/253 
Page 2  
 
  8. Relevant documents:    
Council Directive 76/769/EEC on the approxi mation of the laws, regulations and 
administrative provisions of the Member States  relating to restrictions on the marketing and 
use of certain dangerous su bstances and preparations. 
Point 3 (lamp oils) of the latest consolidat ed version of the Directive available at: 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:1976L0769:20071003:EN:PDF  
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:    May 2009 
December 2010 
10. Final date for comments:  60 days from date of notification. 
11. Text available from: National enquiry po int [ X], or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addres ses, if available of the other body:    
European Commission, 
EC-TBT Enquiry Point, Fax:   + (32) 2 299 80 43, 
E-mail:  ec-tbt@ec.europa.eu
 
The text is available on the EC-TBT Website :  http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/tbt/   
and can be downloaded here.