Sundhedsskadelige vaskemidler

DG Enterprise

Europa-Kommissionen

E-mail: entr-detergents@cec.eu.int

Kommentarer til udkast til forslag om Europa-Parlamentets og Rådets forordning om vaskemidler

DG Enterprise afholder en internethøring med henblik på indsamling af synspunkter fra interessenter vedr. et arbejdsdokument om en foreslået revision af EU's lovgivning vedr. vaskemidler. Alle interessenter er således blevet inviteret til at kommentere udkast til forslag om Europa-Parlamentets og Rådets forordning om vaskemidler.

Nedenfor følger Forbrugerrådets kommentarer:

1. På baggrund af den stigende forekomst af duftallergi i den europæiske befolkning har Forbrugerrådet længe ønsket mærkning af vaskemidler, hvis de indeholder duftstoffer. Mærkning af vaskemidler, der indeholder parfume, er således væsentlig af sundhedsmæssige årsager. Selv om duftstoffer forekommer i mindre koncentrationer i vaskemidler end i for eksempel en dyr parfume, som skal sprøjtes direkte på huden, er forbrugerne somme tider ude for, at der er små klumper vaskemiddel tilbage i tøjet efter vask. Duftallergikere kan derfor få udslæt, hvis de udsættes for duftstoffer via deres vaskemiddel.

2. Da ikke alle duftstoffer er lige allergifremkaldende for alle forbrugere, er det af væsentlig betydning, at forbrugerne oplyses om, præcis hvilke duftstoffer det pågældende vaskemiddel indeholder. Derfor ønsker Forbrugerrådet i princippet fuld deklaration af alle ingredien-ser i vaskemidler, herunder alle duftstoffer.

3. Visse duftstoffer belaster miljøet, og også af denne årsag er det derfor væsentligt for de miljøbevidste forbrugere, at de får mulighed for at fravælge vaskemidler med tilsat parfume.

4. Hvad angår miljøforhold, anbefaler Forbrugerrådet, at man i den reviderede lovgivning tager hensyn til viden og testmetoder, der allerede i dag indgår i reglerne for opnåelse af det europæiske miljømærke på vaskemidler. (Denne viden må derfor anses for "almen viden"). De kriterier, der skal opfyldes, for at et givet produkt kan opnå mærket, indebærer skærpede krav til brug af kemiske stoffer samt testmetoder. Dette gælder naturligvis også vurdering af stoffers nedbrydelighed under anaerobe forhold. Dette er principper, som Forbrugerrådet intet ser til hindring for ligeledes gradvist indføres i den europæiske lovgivning - til fordel for såvel vandmiljø som forbrugere.

5. I forlængelse heraf anbefaler Forbrugerrådet også, at man i risikovurderingen af de forskellige vaskeaktive stoffer inddrager såvel sundhedsmæssige som miljøhensyn og dermed inddrager almen viden bestående af nationale lister over uønskede stoffer (f.eks. Miljøstyrelsens liste), effektlister mm. med henblik på at sikre en udfasning af disse stoffer i vaskemidler. For eksempel kan nævnes det vaskeaktive stof LAS, de såkaldte APEO'er, EDTA, fosfonat og optisk hvidt. Her skal forsigtighedsprincippet tages i anvendelse.

Afslutningsvis skal Forbrugerrådet derfor opfordre til, at allerede anvendte vaskeaktive stoffers påvirkning af miljø og sundhed systematisk revurderes, i takt med at ny viden og testmetoder kommer til.

DG Enterprise

The European Commission

E-mail: entr-detergents@cec.eu.int

Comments on Draft Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Detergents

DG Enterprise is holding an Internet consultation to gather stakeholders' views on a working document concerning a proposed revision of the EU detergents legislation. All interested parties have thus been invited to comment on the Draft Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Detergents.

Please find below the Danish Consumer Council's comments.

1. In view of the increasing occurrence of fragrance allergy in the European population, the Danish Consumer Council has since long advocated labelling of detergents if they contain fragrances. Labelling of detergents containing perfume is thus essential for health reasons. Even though fragrances are found in smaller concentrations in detergents than in for example an exclusive perfume, which is meant to be sprayed directly on the skin, the consumers sometimes experience that small lumps of detergents remain in the clothes after washing. Fragrance allergy sufferers may thus, break out with a rash if they are exposed to fragrances via their detergent.

2. As not all fragrances are equally allergenic to all consumers, it is also essential that the consumers are informed about exactly what fragrances the detergent in question contains. Therefore, in principle, the Danish Consumer Council wants full declaration of all ingredients in detergents, including all fragrances.

3. Certain fragrances put a strain on the environment, and for this reason also it is therefore essential to the environmentally conscious consumers that they are given the possibility of choosing not to buy detergents with added perfume.

4. As for environmental considerations, the Danish Consumer Council recommends that the revised legislation takes into consideration the knowledge and test methods which are already included in the rules for acquiring the European eco-label for detergents. (This knowledge must be considered as "common knowledge"). The criteria, which must be met before a given product can acquire the label, include more rigorous requirements for the use of chemical substances and test methods. Naturally this also applies to the assessment of degradability of substances under anaerobic conditions. These are principles which may also be introduced gradually into the European legislation - to the advantage of the aquatic environment and the consumers.

5. In continuation of this the Danish Consumer Council also recommends that both health and environmental considerations are included in the risk assessment of the various active substances and, thus, that common knowledge such as national lists of unwanted substances (e.g. the Danish EPA's list), effect lists, etc. are considered in order to ensure the phasing out of these substances in detergents. Examples of unwanted substances are: the active substance LAS, the so-called APEO's, EDTA, phosphonate, and optical brightener. In these cases the precautionary principle must be applied.

Finally, the Danish Consumer Council would therefore like to urge that the environmental and health effects of already used active substances are systematically reassessed concurrently with new knowledge and test methods.