. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/EEC/183 
25 February 2008 
 (08-0813) 
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 government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:   European Commission 
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:    
European Commission 
EC-TBT Enquiry Point Fax:  +(32) 2299 8043 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):   Dichloromethane in 
paint strippers 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Proposal for a 
Decision of the European Parliament a nd of the Council amending Council Directive 
76/769/EEC as regards restrictions on the marketing and use of certain dangerous 
substances and preparations (Dichlor omethane) (10 pages, in English). 
6. Description of content:   The proposed Decision will amend Annex 1 of Directive 
76/769/EEC relating to restrictions of the marketing and use of certain substances and 
preparations, in particular of Dichloromethane (DCM).  The restriction affects the marketing and use of paint strippers containing DCM in concentrations greater  than 0.1% 
by mass for industrial and professional activities and for consumers. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
The main objective is to reduce the risk to human  health, in particular for the following use 
categories: 
- Industrial uses: DCM–based paint strippers activities shall be conducted only in industrial 
installations with mandatory requirements con cerning the protection of personnel, such as 
appropriate gloves, exhaust ventilation or air respirator y equipment and engineering 
controls for strip tanks;  G/TBT/N/EEC/183 
Page 2  
 
  - Professional uses: The use of DCM-paint strippers by professionals in non-industrial 
settings shall be banned in ge neral, but Member States could opt to allow further use on 
their territories by specifically licensed professi onals for those activities where they believe 
that the replacement of DCM is particularly difficult or inappropriate; 
- Consumers: The placing on the market of DCM-based paint strippers for consumer use 
shall be banned. 
8. Relevant documents:    
Council Directive 76/769/EEC of 27 July 1976 on the approximation of the laws, 
regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to the restrictions on the marketing and use of dangerous substa nces and preparations (OJ L 262, 27.9.1976, 
p.201),  http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/Lex UriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31976L0769:EN:HTML
 
as last amended by Directive 2007/51/EC (OJ L 257, 03.10.2007, p. 13), 
http://eur-
lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriSer v.do?uri=OJ:L:2007:257:0013:0015:EN:PDF . 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:   }January 2009 
10. Final date for comments:   60 days from day of notification 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [    ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:   
European Commission 
EC-TBT Enquiry Point 
Fax:  + (32) 2299 8043 
E-mail:  ec-tbt@ec.europa.eu  
The text is available on the EC-TBT Website: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/tbt/  
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2008/tbt/eec/08_0553_00_e.pdf