WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2034/97 by Gianni TAMINO to the Commission. Sale of children's products containing substances which are harmful to the health
Date: 1997-06-13
Institutions: European Parliament, TAMINO
Subjects: carcinogenic substance, consumer protection, early childhood, marketing restriction, pharmaceutical product, product safety, public health, withdrawal from the market

C 45/146

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

10. 2. 98

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(27 June 1997)

The  Commission  would  refer  the  Honourable  Members  to  its  answer  to  Written  Question  P-1992/97  by
Mr Garc(cid:14)·a-Margallo y Marfil (1).

(1)  See page 137.

(98/C 45/189)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2034/97

by Gianni Tamino (V) to the Commission

(13 June 1997)

Subject: Sale of children(cid:146)s products containing substances which are harmful to the health

On  25  May  1997  the  Italian  press  reported  that  plastic  teething  aids  manufactured  by  the  Chicco-Artsana
company  had  been  withdrawn  from  the  market  in  Denmark  and  Spain  (and,  subsequently,  in  Italy,  by  the
industry itself), on the grounds that they released phtalates, which are carcinogenic.

No other EU Member States or any third countries would appear to have followed suit.

Is the Commission aware of the above?

What urgent steps does it intend to take to protect the public against such products?

Answer given by Mrs Bonino on behalf of the Commission

(16 July 1997)

The Commission would like to inform the Honourable Member that it received three urgent notifications from
Denmark during April, under the warning system provided for in Article 8 of Directive 92/59/EEC (1) on general
product safety. These notifications referred to measures adopted in respect of various babies’ teething rings made
in China and marketed in Europe by the (cid:145)Chicco Artsana(cid:146) company, the problem being the large quantities of
phtalates released as a result of contact with babies’ saliva.

In  view  of  the  potentially  carcinogenic  nature  of  these  substances,  the  Commission  decided  to  forward  this
information without delay to the authorities responsible for protecting the health and safety of consumers in the
Member States. This allowed other Member States to react in their turn and secure the withdrawal of the products
concerned from the market.

It should be borne in mind, as stated in Directive 92/59/EEC, that it is the responsibility of the Member States to
adopt all the measures necessary to make producers and distributors comply with their obligations with regard to
product safety in such a way that only products which are safe are placed on the market.

The Commission is also in the process of examining the need for specific rules on the criteria for laying down
limits for the release of certain phtalates considered to be potentially carcinogenic by products such as those
referred to by the Honourable Member.

(1)  OJ L 228, 11.8.1992.

(98/C 45/190)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2037/97

by Fre·de·ric Striby (I-EDN) to the Commission

(16 June 1997)

Subject: Interreg II Programme for the Central and Southern Upper Rhine

In July 1996 the Commission approved the Southern Upper Rhine programme relating to six areas of action.
Each of these areas was provided with an initial budget established by the Interreg II programme.