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(2004/C 33 E/279)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2529/03

by David Bowe (PSE) to the Commission

(29 July 2003)

Subject:   Body piercing

Does the Commission consider it necessary to make proposals for minimum common standards for licensing and operation for the commercial provision of the services of tattooing or body piercing in the EU in order to protect the health of the general public and to avoid needless tragedies like the recent death of Daniel Hindle in Sheffield in the UK? If not, why not?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(29 August 2003)

The Commission is aware of the health concerns that may be associated with tattooing and body piercing.

Recently a number of Member States, including the United Kingdom, have introduced national measures on the safety and hygiene of tattooing and body piercing practices. As the Honourable Member notes, there are no Community harmonised measures or standards in place.

In order to ensure a consistent and uniform high level of consumer health protection, the Commission has initiated the collection and assessment of all necessary information related to the safety of tattoos and body piercing. The activity is being conducted in the context of the recently established European Information System on the Exposure of Consumers to chemicals from products/articles project (EIS-CHEMRISKS) and consists of a series of thematic meetings and workshops among scientists and technical experts in the field. The types of chemicals and the safety information to support their use in tattoos, national regulations on tattoos/piercing in the Union and elsewhere, reported adverse health effects associated with tattoos/piercing, hygiene practices and requirements, and professional training requirements, are the main topics where information is being gathered.

The Commission recently published three working documents from this activity: a review of published reports of adverse health effects associated with tattoos/body piercing; a regulatory review on tattoos/body piercing in the Union and elsewhere; and proceedings from a dedicated scientific workshop that took place on 5-6 May 2003 in Ispra, Italy (1).

It is expected that the technical experts participating in the activity will be in a position to finalise these documents in the near future. The Commission intends to submit these for review to the Commission's Scientific Committees before considering the need for further steps.

In addition, the Commission has commissioned a separate study to investigate the specific purity requirements of the metal alloys used in piercing post assemblies and in particular in relation to their nickel content and their potential to induce skin allergies (allergic contact dermatitis). This has been submitted for evaluation to the Commission's Scientific Committee on Toxicity, Ecotoxicity and the Environment (SCTEE). The Commission will consider any appropriate action on the basis of the SCTEE opinion.

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(1)  http://europa.eu.int/comm/consumers/cons_safe/news/eis_tattoo_proc_052003_en.pdf http://europa.eu.int/comm/consumers/cons_safe/news/eis_tattoo_risk_052003_en.pdf http://europa.eu.int/comm/consumers/cons_safe/news/eis_tattoo_reg_052003_en.pdf

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