WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/Notif.00/118
9 March 2000
(00-0914)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   THE NETHERLANDS
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:   Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports
Agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification shall be
indicated if different from above:   National Enquiry Point - EC WTO TBT Enquiry Point
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 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):   Toys and child care
articles made of soft PVC, meant for children under three years old and intended to be
placed in their mouths; when more than 0,1 of their weight percentage consists of one or
more of the phthalates DINP, DEHP, DNOP, DIDP, BBP and DBP.
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Draft Commodities
Act Regulation on Stocks of Toys and Child Care Articles that Contain Phthalates
(softening agents).
6. Description of content:   It is the intention of the regulation, which is supplementary to
European Commission Decision  no. 1999/815/EC of 7 December 1999 (OJ L 315), to ban
the trade in the products listed under point 6.  The European Commission Decision islimited to a ban on placing the above-mentioned products on the market.  Thus the Decision
does not affect products that were already on the market in the EU at the time that the
Decision was established.  This Commodities Act Regulation bans any trade in the above-
mentioned products with immediate effect.
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
Reference is made to the reasons of the European Commission with regard to its Decision
no. 1999/815/EC of 7 December 1999. Having regard to these reasons, it would make sensealso to introduce a trade ban on products that are already on the market.
8. Relevant documents:   Refer to the various opinions of the CSTEE1 and the reasons behind
Decision No. 1999/815/EC.
9. Proposed date of adoption:  15 May 2000
Proposed date of entry into force:  17 May 2000
10. Final date for comments:   2 May 2000
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ X] or address, e-mail and telefax
number of the other body:           