Proposal for a REGULATION (EU) No …/… OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL amending Regulation (EC) No 648/2004 as regards the use of phosphates and other phosphorous compounds in household laundry detergents
Date: 2010-11-04
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: free movement of goods, market approval, polishing and scouring preparations

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EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 4.11.2010 
COM(2010) 597 final 

2010/0298 (COD) 

Proposal for a 

REGULATION (EU) No …/… OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE 
COUNCIL 

amending Regulation (EC) No 648/2004 as regards the use of phosphates and other 
phosphorous compounds in household laundry detergents 

(Text with EEA relevance) 

SEC(2010) 1278 
 SEC(2010) 1277 

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EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

1. 

CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL 

General context 

Phosphates  are  used  in  detergents  to  combat  water  hardness  in  order  to  allow  efficient 
cleaning.  Sodium  tripolyphosphate  (STPP)  is  the  most  commonly  used  phosphate  in 
detergents. In conjunction with surfactants, STPP allows detergents to perform efficiently in 
all washing conditions. 

More specifically, STPP has the following functions in detergents: 

•  efficient sequestering of hardness salts (and keeping them in solution); 

•  removal and prevention of encrustation on fibres; 

•  enhancement of the washing process; 

•  carrier for other detergent ingredients. 

Phosphates  from  detergents  can  contribute  to  certain  adverse  effects  in  the  aquatic 
environment. The prime concern is that they can lead to an excess of nutrients which cause an 
accelerated  growth  of  algae  and  higher  forms  of  plant  life  to  produce  an  undesirable 
disturbance  to  the  balance  of  organisms,  a  phenomenon  called  eutrophication.  Alternative 
water-softening  ingredients  are  available,  but  with  various  performance  limitations, 
particularly for the more demanding cleaning tasks. 

Regulation  (EC)  No  648/2004  on  detergents  harmonises  the  placing  on  the  market  of 
detergents, but only with respect to the labelling of detergents and the biodegradability of the 
surfactants they contain. Nevertheless, in view of concerns about eutrophication, Article 16 of 
the  Regulation  also  required  the  Commission  to  “evaluate,  submit  a  report  on  and,  where 
justified, present a legislative proposal on the use of phosphates with a view to their gradual 
phase-out  or  restriction  to  specific  applications”.  The  Commission  presented  the  report  in 
2007 and concluded that the state of knowledge concerning the contribution of phosphates in 
detergents  to  eutrophication  was  still  incomplete,  but  was  developing  rapidly1.  Further 
scientific work conducted thereafter, as well as information on economic and social impacts 
of possible restrictions, have been the basis for an impact assessment report, which analyses a 
number of policy options to address the use of phosphates in detergents. 

Grounds for and objectives of the proposal 

The  proposal  aims  to  amend  Regulation  (EC)  No  648/2004  on  detergents  by  introducing  a 
limitation  on  the  content  of  phosphates  and  others  phosphorous  compounds  in  household 
laundry detergents, in order to decrease detergents' contribution to the overall eutrophication 
of EU surface waters, following the conclusions of the evaluations and the impact assessment 
performed by the Commission pursuant to Article 16 of Regulation (EC) No 648/2004. 

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(COM (2007) 234), available at: 
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/chemicals/legislation/detergents/index_en.htm. 

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Furthermore,  following  the  entry  into  force  of  the  Treaty  of  Lisbon,  the  provisions  of 
Regulation  (EC)  No 648/2004  concerning  the  power  of  the  Commission  to  adopt  non-
legislative acts of general application to supplement or amend certain non-legislative elements 
of that Regulation have to be adapted to the requirements of Article 290 of the Treaty on the 
Functioning of the European Union. 

The  general  objective  is  to  ensure  a  high  level  of  protection  of  the  environment  from  the 
potential adverse effects of phosphates and others phosphorous compounds in detergents and 
to ensure a well functioning internal market for detergents.  

Consistency with others policy and objectives of the Union 

This  proposal  is  fully  consistent  with  the  objectives  of  the  Water  Framework  Directive 
(Directive  2000/60/EC)  which  requires  Member  States  to  achieve  good  ecological  and 
chemical  status  of  surface  water  by  2015  and  also  requires  them  to  prepare  programme  of 
measures  –  e.g.  river  basin  management  plans  –  which  may  include,  where  justified,  cost 
effective and proportionate, mandatory action, or voluntary agreements to limit phosphates in 
detergents in order to tackle the eutrophication problem in their territories.  

Indeed to combat eutrophication resulting from trans-boundary flows of phosphates into water 
bodies  co-ordinated  action  by  the  Member  States  concerned  in  the  river  basin  management 
context of the WFD, or in regional co-operation strategies have been put into place in some 
sensitive  EU  areas,  like  the  Baltic  Sea  or  the  Danube  River  Basin,  but  have  until  now 
progressed slowly. Thus the proposal is a complementary measure essential for the success of 
the  activities  of  regional  co-operation  initiative  to  combat  the  trans-boundary  problem  of 
eutrophication. 

The  proposal  also  complements  the  Urban  Waste  Water  Treatment  Directive,  91/271/EEC, 
which  aims  to  limit  the  concentrations  of  nutrients  such  as  phosphorous  and  nitrogen  in 
surface waters in order to counter eutrophication. 

2. 

CONSULTATION OF INTERESTED PARTIES AND IMPACT ASSESMENT 

Consultation of interested parties, collection and use of expertise  

The Commission initiated a number of studies to establish whether restrictions on phosphates 
in  detergents  would  be  justified  in  order  to  reduce  eutrophication  in  the  EU:  WRc  20022, 
INIA  pan-European  eutrophication3,  report  by  an  external  contractor  (RPA).  These  studies 
have  provided  the  basis  for  further  consultations  of  Member  States,  Industry  [European 
Phosphates  Producer  Industry  (CEEP);  International  Association  for  Soaps,  Detergents  and 
Maintenance  Products  (A.I.S.E.);  European  Zeolites  Producers  Association  (EUZEPA)]  and 
environmental  NGOs  [World  Wildlife  Fund  (WWF);  European  Consumers'  Organisation 
(BEUC)] during meetings of the Working Group of the Competent Authorities responsible for 
the  implementation  of  the  Detergents  Regulation  –  known  as  the  "Detergents  Working 
Group”  –  namely  in  November  2006,  July  and  December  2007,  July  2008,  February  and 
November 2009. 

A  specific  consultation  of  small  and  medium  size  detergent  formulators  via  the  Enterprise 
Europe Network was undertaken in 2009, in order to get more insight into the current use of 

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Phosphates and alternative detergent builders. WRc (2002), Swindon, UK.  
Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/chemicals/files/docs/ceep_study_final_report_042009_en.pdf. 

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phosphates  and  alternatives  when  formulating  detergents  and  the  impacts  of  potential 
restrictions of phosphates on these SMEs. 

Impact assessment 

The  analysis  of  the  impacts  of  the  various  policy  options  has  been  conducted  taking  into 
consideration results of the scientific analysis of the contribution of phosphates in detergents 
to  eutrophication  risks  in  the  EU,  as  well  as  the  criteria  of  effectiveness  and  efficiency 
(including  practicality,  socio-economic  impacts,  and  monitorability).  Information  has  been 
mainly  derived  from  the  INIA  study  on  eutrophication  risks  associated  with  phosphates  in 
detergents and the RPA report concerning zeolites and other builders as STPP alternatives, as 
well  as  the  remarks  of  the  SCHER  on  the  evaluation  of  these  reports,  and  further  direct 
consultation with stakeholders.  

Five policy options have been scrutinised for their impact: 

–  Option 1: No action at EU level, leaving the responsibility to act to the Member States or 

in the context of regional cooperation (baseline option); 

–  Option 2: Voluntary action by industry; 

–  Option 3: Total ban of phosphates in detergents; 

–  Option 4: Restriction/limitation of phosphates content in laundry detergents; 

–  Option 5: Setting limits values for the content of phosphates in detergents. 

The evaluation and the impact analysis of the options shows that the introduction at European 
level of a limitation on the use of phosphates and other phosphorous compounds in household 
laundry  detergents  will  reduce 
to 
eutrophication risks of EU waters and reduce the cost of phosphorous removal for waste water 
treatment  plants.  Those  cost  savings  greatly  outweigh  the  cost  of  reformulating  household 
laundry  detergents  with  alternatives  to  phosphates.  In  contrast,  EU-wide  restrictions  would 
not  be  justified  at  present  for  dishwasher  detergents  or  for  institutional  and  industrial 
detergents  because  the  available  alternatives  cannot  satisfy  in  general  the  greater  technical 
demands in those applications. 

the  contribution  of  phosphates  from  detergents 

3. 

LEGAL ELEMENTS OF THE PROPOSAL  

Legal basis 

The legal basis of the proposal is Article 114 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European 
Union (TFEU). Article 114 has the objective to establish an internal market while ensuring a 
high level of protection of human health and the environment. 

Subsidiarity principle 

The subsidiarity principle as set out in Article 3(3) of the Treaty on European Union, applies 
insofar as the proposal does not fall under the exclusive competence of the Union.  

The objective to limit the contribution of phosphates from detergents to eutrophication risks in 
EU  waters  while  maintaining  a  well  functioning  internal  market  for  detergents  cannot  be 

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sufficiently achieved by the Member States alone and action by the EU will be more efficient 
to achieve the objectives for the following reasons: 

–  Some Member States have adopted national measures to limit the use of phosphates and/or 
others  phosphorous  compounds,  mainly  in  household  laundry  detergents,  in  accordance 
with  provisions  of  Article  14  of  Regulation  (EC)  No 648/2004  with  different  cut-off 
values. There is no common technical specification throughout the Union. This fragments 
the EU market for laundry detergents.  

–  The current regional cooperation by Member States in the Baltic Sea Strategy and in the 
Danube  River  Basin  have  until  now  progressed  rather  slowly  on  this  issue  and  the  EU 
Member  States  cooperating  on  these  regional  strategies  have  repeatedly  called  for 
harmonised EU measures. 

–  In line with the subsidiarity principle, the draft Regulation maintains the currently already 
existing  possibility  for  Member  States  to  establish  national  legislation  on  phosphates  in 
automatic dishwasher detergents and professional detergents, provided this is justified by 
particular  circumstances  such  as  high  eutrophication  risks  or  water  conditions  in  the 
territory of the Member States. So far, few Member States have in place or are planning to 
introduce limitations for phosphates in dishwasher detergents with very limited impacts on 
the internal market for these detergents. 

Proportionality principle 

The  proposal  does  not  go  beyond  what  is  necessary  in  order  to  achieve  the  intended 
objectives, in accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in Article 3(4) of the 
Treaty on European Union.  

Given the current lack of suitable technical or economical alternatives to replace phosphates 
in detergent types other than laundry detergents, and given the fact that laundry detergents are 
the largest contributor to the overall load of phosphates from detergents, the proposal does not 
limit the phosphate content of other types of detergent.  

Choice of the instruments 

The chosen legal instrument is a Regulation as it aims to harmonise the content of phosphates 
and  others  phosphorous  compounds  in  household  laundry  detergents.  It  amends  the  already 
existing Regulation on detergents. 

Main provisions of the proposal 

The  proposal  extends  the  scope  of  Regulation (EC) No 648/2004 to allow  introduction of a 
limitation  on  the  content  of  phosphates  and  others  phosphorous  compounds  in  detergents 
(amendments to Articles 1 and 4). 

It  should  be  noted  that  alternatives  for  phosphates  in  household  laundry  detergents  do 
sometimes contain other phosphorous containing compounds, in particular phosphonates. It is 
therefore  not  possible  to  completely  eliminate  phosphorous  from  detergents.  On  the  other 
hand, many different phosphates and phosphorous containing compounds exist and it has to 
be  ensured  that  the  intended  ban  of  phosphates  cannot  easily  be  circumvented.  The  draft 
Regulation,  therefore,  establishes  an  overall  limit  of  0.5 %  by  weight  for  the  content  of 
phosphorous  in  household  laundry  detergents,  covering  all  phosphates  and  phosphorous 

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containing  compounds.  For  the  time  being,  until  technically  and  economically  viable 
alternatives to phosphates become available for other types of detergent, the  proposal limits 
the  content  of  phosphates  and  other  phosphorous  compounds  only  in  household  laundry 
detergents (proposed new Annex VIa).  

For household automatic dishwasher detergent containing phosphates, it is proposed that the 
Commission  is  tasked  to  review  their  contribution  to  the  eutrophication  risk  within  5  years 
after the adoption of the proposed act, to submit a report to the European Parliament and to 
the  Council  (amendment  of  Article  16)  and  if  deemed  appropriate,  to  propose  restrictions 
concerning their phosphates content by adapting the new Annex VIa to technical progress. 

The proposal also adapts the current provisions of Regulation (EC) No 648/2004 to empower 
the Commission to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the 
Functioning of the European Union (amendment of Article 13). 

Finally the proposed act maintains the already existing provision allowing Member States to 
lay down national rules to limit the content of phosphates and other phosphorous compounds 
in detergents other than household laundry detergents, if justified on environmental grounds 
(Amendment of Article 14). 

4. 

BUDGETARY IMPLICATION 

The proposal has no implication for the budget of the European Union. 

5. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

–  The proposed act is relevant for the European Economic Area (EEA).  

–  The proposal is subject to the WTO-TBT Agreement, thus subject to a notification to the 

WTO.  

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2010/0298 (COD) 

Proposal for a 

REGULATION (EU) No …/… OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE 
COUNCIL 

amending Regulation (EC) No 648/2004 as regards the use of phosphates and other 
phosphorous compounds in household laundry detergents 

(Text with EEA relevance) 

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  on  the  Functioning  of  the  European  Union,  and  in  particular 
Article 114 thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, 

After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national Parliaments, 

Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee4, 

Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions5, 

Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

Pursuant  to  Article  16  of  Regulation  (EC)  No  648/2004,  the  Commission  has 
evaluated  the  use  of  phosphates  in  detergents  in  the  Report  to  the  Council  and  the 
European  Parliament  concerning  the  use  of  phosphates6.  Following  further  analysis, 
the  Commission  has  concluded  that  the  use  of  phosphates  in  household  laundry 
detergents  should  be  limited  in  order  to  reduce  the  contribution  of  phosphates  from 
detergents  to  eutrophication  risks  and  to  reduce  the  costs  of  phosphates  removal  in 
waste  water  treatment  plants.  Those  cost  savings  outweigh  the  cost  of  reformulating 
household laundry detergents with alternatives to phosphates. 

Efficient alternatives to phosphates-based household laundry detergents require small 
amounts  of  other  phosphorous  compounds,  namely  phosphonates  which  if  used  in 
increasing quantities might be of concern for the environment. 

The  interaction  between  phosphates  and  other  phosphorous  compounds  requires  a 
careful choice of the scope and level of the limitation. The limitation should apply to 
all  phosphorous  compounds  in  order  to  preclude  a  mere  substitution  of  the  limited 

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OJ C […], […], p. […]. 
OJ C […], […], p. […]. 
COM (2007) 234 final. 

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phosphates by other phosphorous compounds. The limitation for phosphorous content 
should  be  low  enough  to  effectively  prevent  the  marketing  of  phosphate-based 
household  laundry  detergent  formulations,  while  being  high  enough  to  allow  the 
minimum quantity of phosphonates required for alternative formulations. 

Since  the  objectives  of  the  action  to  be  taken,  namely  to  reduce  the  contribution  of 
phosphates  from  detergents  to  eutrophication  risks  and  to  reduce  the  costs  of 
phosphates  removal  in  waste  water  treatment  plants,  cannot  be  sufficiently  achieved 
by Member States as national measures with different technical specifications cannot 
influence  the  quality  of  water  crossing  national  borders,  and  can  therefore  be  better 
achieved  at  Union  level,  the  Union  may  adopt  measures,  in  accordance  with  the 
principle  of  subsidiarity  as  set  out  in  Article  5  of  the  Treaty  on  European  Union.  In 
accordance  with  the  principle  of  proportionality,  as  set  out  in  that  Article,  this 
Regulation does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve that objective. 

It  is  not  appropriate  to  extend  limitations  of  the  use  of  phosphates  and  other 
phosphorous  compounds  in  household  laundry  detergents  to  household  automatic 
dishwasher  detergents  or  to  industrial  and  institutional  detergents  because  suitable 
technically  and  economically  feasible  alternatives  to  the  use  of  phosphates  in  those 
detergents are not yet available. 

A  definition  of 
'cleaning'  should  be  included  directly  into  Regulation  (EC) 
No 648/2004  instead  of  a  reference  to  the  relevant  ISO  standard  to  facilitate 
readability. 

The  Commission  should  be  empowered  to  adopt  delegated  acts  in  accordance  with 
Article 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union for the purpose of 
amending the Annexes to this Regulation. 

(4) 

(5) 

(6) 

(7) 

(8)  Member States should lay down rules on penalties applicable to infringements of this 
Regulation and ensure that they are implemented. Those penalties should be effective, 
proportionate and dissuasive. 

(9) 

It is appropriate to provide for deferred application of the restriction established in this 
Regulation so as to allow operators, in particular small and medium–sized enterprises, 
to reformulate their phosphate–based household laundry detergents using alternatives 
during their usual reformulation cycle in order to minimise the costs. 

(10)  Regulation (EC) No 648/2004 should therefore be amended accordingly,  

HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 

Regulation (EC) No 648/2004 is amended as follows: 

Article 1 

(1) 

In Article 1(2) the third and fourth indent are replaced by the following: 

“- 

the additional labelling of detergents, including fragrance allergens; 

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- 

- 

the  information  that  manufacturers  must  hold  at  the  disposal  of  the  Member 
States competent authorities and medical personnel; 

limitations on the content of phosphates and other phosphorous compounds in 
detergents.” 

(2) 

Article 2, point 3 is replaced by the following: 

“3. 

'Cleaning' means the process by which soil is dislodged from the substrate and 
brought into a state of solution or dispersion.” 

(3) 

The following Article 4a is inserted: 

“Article 4a 

Limitations on the content of phosphates and of other phosphorous compounds 

Detergents  listed  in  Annex  VIa  that  do  not  comply  with  the  limitations  on  the  content  of 
phosphates and of other phosphorous compounds laid down in that Annex shall not be placed 
on the market from the date set out in that Annex.” 

(4) 

(5) 

In Article 12, paragraph 3 is deleted. 

Article 13 is replaced by the following: 

“Article 13 

Adaptation of Annexes 

1. 

2. 

The  Commission  may  adopt,  by  means  of  delegated  act  in  accordance  with 
Articles 13a, 13b and 13c, amendments necessary for adapting the Annexes to 
scientific  and  technical  progress.  The  Commission  shall,  wherever  possible, 
use European standards. 

The  Commission  may  adopt,  by  means  of  delegated  act  in  accordance  with 
Articles  13a,  13b  and  13c  amendments  to  the  Annexes  of  this  Regulation 
regarding solvent-based detergents. 

3.  Where individual risk-based concentration limits for the fragrance allergens are 
established by the Scientific Committee on Cosmetics and Non-food Products, 
the Commission shall, in accordance with Articles 13a, 13b and 13c, adapt the 
limit of 0.01% set out in Section A of Annex VII accordingly.” 

(6) 

The following Articles 13a, 13b and 13c are inserted: 

“Article 13a 

Exercise of the delegation 

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1. 

The  powers  to  adopt  the  delegated  acts  referred  to  in  Article  13  shall  be 
conferred on the Commission for an indeterminate period of time. 

2.  As  soon  as  it  adopts  a  delegated  act,  the  Commission  shall  notify  it 

simultaneously to the European Parliament and to the Council. 

3. 

The powers to adopt delegated acts are conferred on the Commission subject to 
the conditions laid down in Articles 13b and 13c. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

1. 

2. 

Article 13b 

Revocation of the delegation 

The delegation of power referred to in Article 13 may be revoked at any time 
by the European Parliament or by the Council. 

The  institution  which  has  commenced  an  internal  procedure  for  deciding 
whether to revoke the delegation of power shall endeavour to inform the other 
institution  and  the  Commission  within  a  reasonable  time  before  the  final 
decision  is  taken,  indicating  the  delegated  powers  which  could  be  subject  to 
revocation and possible reasons for a revocation. 

The  decision  of  revocation  shall  put  an  end  to  the  delegation  of  the  powers 
specified  in  that  decision.  It  shall  take  effect  immediately  or  at  a  later  date 
specified therein. It shall not affect the validity of the delegated acts already in 
force. It shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union. 

Article 13c 

Objections to delegated acts 

The  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  may  object  to  the  delegated  act 
within a period of two months from the date of notification. At the initiative of 
the  European  Parliament  or  the  Council  this  period  shall  be  extended  by  one 
month.  

If,  on  expiry  of  that  period,  neither  the  European  Parliament  nor  the  Council 
has objected to the delegated act it shall be published in the Official Journal of 
the  European  Union  and  shall  enter  into  force  at  the  date  stated  therein.  The 
delegated act may be published in the Official Journal of the European Union 
and enter into force before the expiry of that period if the European Parliament 
and the Council  have  both informed the Commission of their  intention not to 
raise objections. 

3. 

If the European Parliament or the Council objects to a delegated act, it shall not 
enter  into  force.  The  institution  which  objects  shall  state  the  reasons  for 
objecting to the delegated act.” 

(7) 

In Article 14, the second paragraph is replaced by the following: 

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“Member  States  may  maintain  or  lay  down  national  rules  concerning  restrictions  on  the 
content  of  phosphates  and  of  other  phosphorous  compounds  in  detergents  for  which  no 
restrictions on the content are set out in Annex VIa where justified on grounds of protection 
of the aquatic environment and where technically and economically feasible alternatives are 
available.” 

(8) 

Article 16 is replaced by the following: 

“Article 16 

Report 

By  31  December  2014,  the  Commission  shall  evaluate,  submit  a  report  to  the  European 
Parliament and to the Council on the use of phosphates and other phosphorous compounds in 
household  automatic  dishwasher  detergents  and,  if  justified,  present  a  legislative  proposal 
with a view to their gradual phase-out or restriction to specific applications.” 

(9) 

Article 18 is replaced by the following:  

“Article 18 

Penalties 

Member  States  shall  lay  down  the  rules  on  penalties  applicable  to  infringements  of  this 
Regulation  and  shall  take  all  measures  necessary  to  ensure  that  they  are  implemented.  The 
penalties  provided  for  must  be  effective,  proportionate  and  dissuasive.  Member  States  shall 
notify  those  provisions  and  any  subsequent  amendment  affecting  those  provisions  to  the 
Commission without delay. 

Those rules shall include measures allowing competent authorities of Member States to detain 
consignments of detergents that fail to comply with this Regulation.” 

(10)  The text set out in the Annex to this Regulation is inserted as Annex VIa. 

(11) 

In Section A of Annex VII the following text is deleted: 

“If  individual  risk-based  concentration  limits  for  the  fragrance  allergens  are  subsequently 
established  by  the  SCCNFP,  the  Commission  shall  propose  the  adoption  of  such  limits  to 
replace  the  limit  of  0.01%  mentioned  above.  Those  measures,  designed  to  amend  non-
essential  elements  of  this  Regulation,  shall  be  adopted  in  accordance  with  the  regulatory 
procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 12(3).” 

Article 2 

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in 
the Official Journal of the European Union. 

Points (1), (3), (7), (9) and (10) of Article 1 shall apply from 1 January 2013. 

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This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. 

Done at Brussels, […] 

For the European Parliament 
The President 
[…] 

For the Council 
The President 
[…] 

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ANNEX 

“ANNEX VIa 

LIMITATIONS ON THE CONTENT OF PHOSPHATES AND OF OTHER 
PHOSPHOROUS COMPOUNDS  

Detergent  

Limitations 

Date as of which the 
limitation applies 

Household laundry detergents  Shall not be placed on the 

1 January 2013 

market if the total content of 
phosphorous is equal to or 
greater than 0.5 % by weight  

” 

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