Business Alert - EU
Business Alert - EU |
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"Blue colourant" to be banned in garments sold EU-wide Hong Kong's textile-dying and exporting industry should be alerted to a new Directive adopted by the European Commission banning a particular dye, the "blue colourant". Directive 2003/3/EC has been adopted under the framework Community law restricting dangerous substances (76/769/EEC). It was published in the Official Journal of 9 January 2003 and will enter into force on 29 January 2003. It will become applicable only as from 30 June 2004. The EU's Index No. for "blue colourant" is provided in the Directive as 611-070-00-2, although Hong Kong's garment industry may already be familiar with this particular substance. A recital in the new law claims that the risk assessment carried out in the EU has identified that the substance has a high aquatic toxicity, is not easily degradable and reaches the environment via waste water. The conclusion reached by the risk assessment, and taken up by the Commission, is that, in order to protect the environment, the placing on the market and use of the blue colourant must be prohibited for colouring textiles and leather articles. Indeed, the ban follows that which has already been set down for a number of azodyes in Directive 2002/61/EC, published in September last year. In short, the new law will ensure that, as from 30 June 2004, the blue colourant may not be placed on the market or used for colouring textile and leather articles as a substance or constituent of preparations in concentrations higher than 0.1% by mass.
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