[ 10 November 1999 ]

Ban on Phthalates in Children’s Toys Totally Unjustified Says Industry

Children could be put at risk as a result

The emergency ban approved by European Commissioners today on the use of phthalate plasticisers in toys and childcare items intended to be put in the mouth by children under three years old is totally unjustified says the phthalates industry. Contrary to its intention it could result in children’s health being put at risk.

“There is not a shred of scientific evidence pointing to a risk, let alone a ‘serious and immediate risk’ to children,” said Dr David Cadogan, Director of the European Council of Plasticisers and Intermediates (ECPI).

“Phthalate plasticisers have been used in children’s toys for more than 40 years without a single known case of a child ever having been harmed. Europe’s leading scientific body, the Scientific Committee for Toxicity, Ecotoxicity and the Environment (CSTEE) has confirmed that phthalates can be safely used in these applications,” he added.

“It is understandable that parents have become concerned about alarmist and totally misguided stories that have been used by Greenpeace but for the European Commission to bow to this pressure and put politics before science is extremely concerning.  Instead of protecting children it could actually be putting them at risk by forcing manufacturers to use other plasticisers or materials about which far less is known - the CSTEE has already given clear warning of this danger in its recent opinion.”

This ban not only means that parents of young children will be denied the right to purchase toys and babycare items which are perfectly safe, it also has much longer-term implications. If legislators succumb to political and emotional pressures on other such issues consumers will be denied the use of all sorts of perfectly safe items in the future.

Greenpeace’s claims that phthalates "might cause toxic effects" if children suck or chew on soft PVC toys for long periods of time is based on studies on rats and mice exposed to amounts many hundreds of times higher than children or adults would ever be likely to encounter. They ignore the most recent studies, which show that the these toxic mechanisms do not apply to primates and humans.

The phthalates industry has vowed to continue work with the CSTEE and Dutch and UK governments to further develop a fully validated test method, which could be used to measure migration limits. "In order to allay any public fears, the Commission should co-ordinate the work on a test method and migration limits in line with its own Recommendation and that of the CSTEE - without any further bureaucratic delay," stresses David Cadogan.

In the meantime, industry groups have already taken legal action against the French government over a similar ban earlier this year. "This outrageous decision forces the chemical industry to seriously consider similar legal action against the Commission," says David Cadogan.  

For further information please contact:       

Tim Edgar
European Council for Plasticisers and Intermediates (ECPI)
Avenue E Van Nieuwenhuyse 4        
B-1160 Brussels, Belgium                                                          

Tel:     0032 2 676 7363 or 0032 475 37 66 93
Fax:    0032 2 676 7392