Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-07-04-Speech-1-119"
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"en.20050704.18.1-119"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, in Germany we have a saying to the effect that ‘it will be worth it in the end’. When, in 1999, the Commission forwarded to the Council and Parliament its proposal for restrictions on phthalates in toys and childcare articles, it did not expect so much time to elapse before this directive was eventually adopted.
Let me conclude by congratulating Mr Trakatellis and the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council. Without the efforts both of them have made, it would not have been possible to reach agreement on this highly problematic and weighty matter.
It did not at first appear possible to bring together in a compromise the divergent views held at Council level, and so the Member States decided to defer their decision until a series of risk assessments had been carried out in accordance with Regulation 793/93.
I do, however, think it is important that it be said that the children of Europe were not, at this point, in any sort of danger, as the Commission, in a decision under the General Product Safety Directive, had called on the Member States to ban certain toys and babycare articles containing the six phthalates in question, although this decision had to be extended on a regular basis in order to remain valid.
It therefore gives me a great deal of pleasure that the Council and Parliament have now reached agreement so soon after most of the risk assessments have produced results and the relevant scientific committee has delivered its opinions. This compromise, which will serve as the basis for what will now be a permanent rule, takes the precautionary principle into account without, however, losing sight of the principle of proportionality.
Speaking on behalf of the Commission, I would like to state that it is not minded to accept Amendments 22 and 23, on the grounds that they do not reflect the compromise reached between Parliament and the Council.
In the course of the negotiations between the Council and Parliament, the Commission had offered to make two statements in order to facilitate the reaching of a compromise, and that I shall now proceed to do. The first statement has to do with the compilation of a handbook and reads as follows:
As soon as a directive on restrictions on the marketing and use of phthalates in toys and childcare articles has been adopted, the Commission, in consultation with Member States’ experts responsible for the management of Directive 76/769/EEC and stakeholders, will prepare a guidance document in order to facilitate the implementation of the directive. The document will address in particular the provisions relating to restrictions on certain substances in toys and childcare articles, insofar as they concern the condition “which can be put in the mouth”, as in the annex to the directive.’
The second statement deals with the use of fragrances in children’s toys, and reads as follows:
The Commission confirms its intention to address the issue of fragrances in toys within the framework of the revision of the directive on the safety of toys. This will have the advantage of identifying exactly what should be understood as fragrances, of considering the appropriate measures to deal with the risk identified and of ensuring consistency with the other provisions of the said directive.’"@en1
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