1.

Notifying Member: European Union

If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):

2.

Agency responsible: European Commission

Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, email and website addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:

European Commission

EU-TBT Enquiry Point

Fax: +(32) 2 299 80 43

E-mail: grow-eu-tbt@ec.europa.eu

Website: http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/tbt/

3.

Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [ ], 5.6.2 [X], 5.7.1 [ ], other:

4.

Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable): Textile articles which contain NPE (nonylphenol ethoxylates). For the purpose of the draft restriction, textile article means any unfinished, semi-finished or finished product that consists of at least 80% textile fibres by weight or any other product that contain a part which is composed of at least 80% textile fibres by weight

5.

Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: Draft Commission Regulation amending Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) as Regards Nonylphenol Ethoxylates (4 pages + Annex 2 pages, in English).

6.

Description of content: The draft Regulation intends to prohibit the placing on the market of textile articles as defined under point 4 above which can reasonably be expected to be washed in water during their normal lifecycle if the content of nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPE) is equal or greater than 0.01 % by weight (i.e. 100 mg/kg).

The draft Regulation provides for exemptions from the restriction for second hand textile articles and new textile articles produced exclusively from recycled textiles.

The draft Regulation provides for a transition period of 60 months between the adoption of the restriction and its applicability in order to give sufficient time to producers of textiles articles to adapt their production processes so that they can comply with the restriction.

7.

Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable: NPE have been detected in textile articles to which they have been added for fibre conditioning purposes, and, during reasonably foreseeable conditions of washing in water NPE may be released into the aquatic environment. Repeated exposure to NPE poses a risk to aquatic species present in surface water. The proposed restriction is expected to reduce emissions of NPE to water at a relatively low cost to operators in the textile supply chain because technically and economically feasible alternatives are already available.

8.

Relevant documents:

·                Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH Regulation):

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1423064258789&uri=CELEX:32006R1907

·                The opinions of the Committees for Risk Assessment (RAC) and Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC): http://echa.europa.eu/documents/10162/b94f33a1-6afb-4091-a3fa-b64303b88ed2

·                Further background information is available at: http://echa.europa.eu/previous-consultations-on-restriction-proposals/-/substance-rev/1898/term

9.

Proposed date of adoption: Last quarter of 2015

Proposed date of entry into force: Last quarter of 2015 (20 days from publication in the Official Journal of the EU (the restriction will apply from the end of 2020)

10.

Final date for comments: 60 days from notification

11.

Texts available from: National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:

European Commission

EU-TBT Enquiry Point

Fax: + (32) 2 299 80 43

E-mail: grow-eu-tbt@ec.europa.eu

The text is available on the Website: http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/tbt/

https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2015/TBT/EEC/15_1614_00_e.pdf

https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2015/TBT/EEC/15_1614_01_e.pdf