ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEEDES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(79)792
Vol.1979/0261

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(79)792 final
Brussels -11January 1980
Proposal fora
COUNCIL DIRECTIVE ""^_\
\
amendingforthefourthtimeCounciDirective 76/769/EEConthe
'çaL/"- -v• >>
«»• .... .approximation ofthelaws,regulations andadministrative provisions
\=*'A"" •■/oftheMemberStatesrelating torestrictions onthemarketing and
wv:>/useofcertain dangerous substances andpreparations •n,/
*/
(submitted totheCouncil bytheCommission )
C0M(79)792final

.Backgroundinformation "
.General ,._
1.Difficulties havebeenencountered inth>iapplication ofCouncil
Directive76/769/EECof27July1976ont1"approximation ofthelaws,_
regulationsandadministrative provisions "oftheMemberStatesrelating
torestrictions onthemarketinganduseofcertaindangeroussubstances
andpreparations (l).Ithasbrenestablishedthatpolychlorinat ed
terphenyls (PCT)areusedin-oxjeMemberStatesasthermoplastic tooling
compounds.Onacoountofitsdangertohealth,however,suchuse
ofPCTisprohibitedunderCouncilDirective76/769/EEC.-
2.Thistoolingcompoundisusednotonlyintheformofawaxforholding
metalsandothermaterialsintheprecisionmachiningofturbineparts
foroivilandmilitaryaircraft'engines,butalsoinnuclea.rreactortechno'
logyandinthemanufacture ofhigh-precision lensesformilitaryand
otherpurposes.Itwasoriginallydevelopedtomeetthestringentrequire­
mentsoftheAmericanspaceresearchprogramme.Allothertoolingcompounds
leaveresidualimpuritieswhichcanseverelyaffecttheperformance of
themachinedparts.Thereisasyetno.suitablesubstituteandresearch
inthisfieldhascommenced.
3.ThematerialisproducedintheUSAandisusedina'semi-closed cycle,
95i°of"thestartingmaterialbeingrecoveredandre-used.Asregardsthe.
residualmaterial,CouncilDirective76/403/EEC(2)onthedisposalof
<.polychlorinat edbiphenylsandpolychlorinat edterphenyls,whichentered
intoforceon6April1978*laysdownthatthecollection,regeneration
anddestructionofthematerialshallbecarriedoutwithoutendangering "
humanhealthandwithoutharmingtheenvironment.Inthiswaymanand.
theenvironmentaretobeprotectedagainstharmduetotheuncontrolled
(1)OJL262of27.9.1976,pi201
(2)OJL108of26.4.1976,p.41

-2-
disposal,dumpingorabandonment ofsuchwastes.
4.Inviewoftheneedtocontinueusingthismaterial,especiallyin
themanufacture ofmilitaryequipment,itshouldbeexemptedfromthe
existingprohibition ontheuseofthesubstancesconcerned -untila
suitablesubstitutehasbeenfound.Inordertoemphasizethesearch
foraharmlesssubstitute,theProposalforaDirectiveprovidesfor
atemporaryexemptionofPCTfromthesaidprohibition .
5.TheproposedamendmenttoDirective76/769/EECdoesnotprejudiceany
subsequentthoroughreviewofthesixusesofPCBandPCTstillper­
mittedundertheDirective.
II.COMMENTS ONTHEARTICLES
Article1
ThisarticleamendstheAnnextotheCouncilDirective76/769/EECrelating
torestrictions onthemarketinganduseofcertaindangeroussubstances
andpreparations inthatPCTisexemptedfromtheexistingprohibition on
theuse.Thereoftouseintheformofare-usablethermoplastic tooling
compoundcontainingnotmorethan36$ofPCT,forthesupporting,holding
andstabilizing ofpartswillbepermitted.
Articles 2and3
ThesearecommontoallDirecitves .
III.PREPARATION OFTHEPROPOSAL FORADIRECTIVE
TheproposalforaDirectivewasdrawnupatthesuggestionofaMember
StateGovernment uponthereportofaworkingpartycomposedofexperts
onpublichealth,hygiene,safetyatwork,industryandcommerceand
afterconsultation withtherelevantindustrialandprofessional organi­
zations,whichareentirelyinagreementwiththeProposal.
IV.CONSULTATION OFTHEEUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ANDTHEEC0N0?1TC ANDSOCIAL
COMMITTEE
Sinceimplementation oftheprovisionssetoutintheProposalfora
DirectiveinvolvestheamendmentofMemberStates'legislation ,the
opinionofbothbodiesisrequiredinacoordancewithArticle100(2)
oftheEECTreaty.

Proposalfora' -
'iCOUNCILDIRECTIVE .. ;_
amendingfor'thefourthtimeDirective76/769/EEContheapproximation of~
thelaws,regulationsandadministrative provisionsoftheMemberStates,
relatingtotherestrictions onthemarketinganduseofcertaindangerous
substances andpreparations "
THECOUNCILOPTHEEUROPEANCOMMUNITIES,
Havingregard,to"theTreatyestablishing theEuropeanEconomicCommunity,
andinparticularArticle100thereof,
HavingregardtotheproposalfromtheCommission,-
HavingregardtotheopinionoftheEuropeanParliment,
HavingregardtotheopinionoftheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
WhereasinsomeMemberStatespolychlorinated terphenylsareusedinthe
formofawaxycompoundforholdingmetalsandothermaterialsinprecision
machiningwork,chieflyinthemachiningofturbihecomponentsforcivil
andmilitaryaircraftengines,butalsoinnuclearreactortechnologyand
inthemanufacture ofhigh–precisionlensesfprmilitaryandotherpurposes;
'.1WhereasCouncilDirective76/769/EECprohibitssuchuse;
Whereas,sincesuchproductsareoffundamental importanceforthe
operationsinwhichtheyareused,temporaiyauthorization oftheirusein
specialpremisesapprovedbythecompetentauthorities appearstobejustified
whereasit-isthereforenecessarytoamendtheAnnextoDirective76/769/EEC;
Whereasthedisposalofpolychlorinated terphenylsisregulatedbyCouncil
Directive76/403/EEC2.
10JNoL262,27.9.1976,p.201
20JNoL108,26.4.1976,p.41*.

-2-
MSADOPTEDTHISDIRECTIVE :
Articini
Iniln-Ahm'-x1.QInri.'i;Ui/i;Kit7^9/iTC,thefollowingnewitemohdllbe
addedtotheright-hand columnofsection 1:
"7.re–usablethermoplastic toolingcompoundscontainingnotmore
than34-3&j&ofPCT,forthesupport,retentionandstabilizing
ofpartsinordertofacilitatetheirprecisionmachiningand
forming,maycontinuetobeuseduntil31December1985
inspecialpremisesapprovedbythecompetentauthorities."
Article2
MemberStatesshallbringintoforcetheprovisionsnecessarytocomply
withthisDirectivewithin12monthsofitsnotification -Theyshall
forthwithinformtheCommission thereof.
Article3
ThisDirectiveisaddressedtotheMemberStates.