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Draft Guidelines for Risk Assessment of Non-Food Consumer Products - Public Consultation No. 32/2008

From July 15, 2008, the European Union launched a public consultation on the draft of the Risk Assessment Guidelines for non-food consumer products. The consultation was open to competent authorities of Member States and interested parties. The consultation period lasted three months, from July 15, 2008 to October 15, 2008. The purpose of the consultation was to address the risk assessment of market research authorities in Member States dealing with non-food consumer products under the framework of Product Safety Directive 2001/95/EC. The aim was to establish the RAPEX system to prevent or restrict products that pose serious risks to consumer health and safety. The guidelines covered the following three steps: Online consultation: The online materials were only available in English. Consultants could download the draft of the Risk Assessment Guidelines for non-food consumer products to read and understand its details. There was a 90-minute time limit for submitting responses to the online consultation. Responses not submitted within the time limit would not be recorded. Therefore, consultants were advised to download and complete the questionnaire beforehand to facilitate the consultation process. It has not yet been decided whether to publish the client's submission along with the compiled consultation results. Clients are required to respond to this decision. SGS will closely monitor the latest developments. For any questions, please feel free to contact our customer service department by letter or phone.

2008-09-25

Global warming and rising sea temperatures will make storms more powerful.

According to a study published today, global warming may be increasing the power of the most intense tropical cyclones. The study states that for every degree Celsius increase in sea surface temperature in cyclone-forming tropical regions, the number of the most powerful storms could increase by nearly a third. The authors of the study, in a report published in the British journal *Nature*, said, "As ocean temperatures warm, the ocean has more energy to generate the strong winds of tropical cyclones." Previous studies based on observations over the past thirty years have found that hurricanes are becoming more powerful due to ocean warming. However, observational data for the Atlantic region is more detailed and has a longer history than observations of cyclones in the Indian Ocean and typhoons in the Pacific. To fill this gap, three American scientists studied satellite data from all storm-forming ocean areas from 1981 to 2006. They calculated the number of storms and the maximum wind speeds during each storm, comparing them to sea surface temperatures. Over these twenty-five years, the researchers did not find an overall increase in the number of storms. However, wind speeds increased significantly in the most powerful storms, or those roughly classified as the highest intensity. Aside from the South Pacific, almost all storm-forming ocean regions exhibit this trend: the more intense the cyclone, the greater the temperature variation. This is clearly because the South Pacific is already the warmest ocean region, thus its temperature increase is relatively lower compared to the Atlantic, Indian, and North Pacific. Researchers did not observe an increase in wind speed in less intense storms. This study, conducted by a research team led by Elsner at Florida State University, demonstrates this trend.

2008-09-05

Massive ice shelf collapses in the Canadian Arctic

Scientists said today that a 55-square-kilometer ice shelf collapsed in the Canadian Arctic last month, and the remaining ice shelves are shrinking at a "massive and worrying" rate. They stated that the Markham Ice Shelf broke off from Ellesmere Island in early August. They also said that two large ice shelves, totaling 76 square kilometers, have broken off from the nearby Serson Ice Shelf. "These changes are large in scale and worrying," said Warwick Vincent, director of the Northern Research Centre at Laval University in Quebec. Temperatures in much of the Arctic have risen much faster than the global average in recent decades, a phenomenon experts believe is linked to global warming. Source: Massive Ice Shelf Collapse in the Canadian Arctic | Environmental Information Centre

2008-09-05

UNU report says EU e-waste recycling rate needs to be strengthened

A report published by an association led by the United Nations University (UNU) indicates that the European Union's e-waste recycling rate is far from its target. The report calls for increased e-waste recycling rates to not only protect the environment but also benefit the electronics industry itself. The report points out that currently only 25% of medium-sized appliances and 40% of large appliances in Europe are recycled or reused, while the recycling rate for small appliances is almost zero. Ruediger Kuehr of the UNU's Bonn office in Germany criticized, "This means there is still a lot of room for improvement." Kuehr called for a long-term target of 60% for the recycling rate of small electronic products such as MP3 players, as well as medium-sized audio equipment, microwave ovens, and televisions. For large appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines, the recycling rate should even reach 75%. This would allow for the recycling of 5.3 million metric tons of e-waste by 2011, double the original target of 220 million metric tons. While the growth rate of e-waste is not rapid, it maintains an annual growth rate of 2.5% to 2.7%. A UNU report estimates that by 2020, the total amount of e-waste in EU countries will reach 12.3 million metric tons, accounting for one-third of the global e-waste volume. Although the EU's WEEE directive requires a recycling rate of 4 kg of e-waste per person per year, recycling rates vary significantly among EU member states.

2008-09-02

Greenpeace releases sixth quarter environmentally friendly electronics company evaluation

On November 27, 2007, Greenpeace released its sixth quarterly Guide to Greener Electronics. This year's assessment included television manufacturers and rapidly growing portable game console companies for the first time. The results showed that Nintendo was the least environmentally friendly electronics company, followed by Philips and Microsoft, which ranked second to last and third to last, respectively. Sony Ericsson and Samsung both received a high score of 7.7 out of 10, tying for the title of "most environmentally friendly electronics company" globally. Greenpeace has been publishing this assessment report since August of last year, updating it quarterly. This was the sixth report, and the biggest difference was the addition of four companies to the assessment, bringing the total number of companies to 18 from 14. The scoring criteria included nine items such as the presence of toxic chemicals in the products and the recycling of old products, with a maximum score of 10. Nintendo, home to the wildly popular Wii video game, enjoys strong sales, but has also been labeled one of the least environmentally friendly electronics companies. Green organizations point out that Nintendo has yet to provide a timeline for phasing out toxic substances like PVC and brominated flame retardants from its products, and its recycling rates for old products are very low, resulting in Nintendo receiving zero points in this survey.

2008-09-02

The basic threshold for entering green procurement – the environmental label

As we approach the 21st century, green design, production, marketing, and consumption have become a trend. Not only are many international trade organizations actively discussing the impact of green consumption on international trade, but the trend of using trade measures to achieve environmental goals is also increasingly evident. The concept advocated by green consumption is to change consumption patterns to reduce the use of natural resources, toxic substances, and pollutant emissions, aiming to pursue a better quality of life without compromising the rights of future generations. So how do we change consumption patterns? One of the best educational methods is to fully express the environmental characteristics of a product (including services) using simple yet precise descriptions, symbols, or graphics, and appeal to consumers. These descriptions, symbols, or graphics are "environmental labels and declarations." In short, "environmental labels and declarations" are advertising activities that aim to gain consumer recognition and encourage the purchase of more environmentally friendly products to achieve environmental goals. You can achieve green consumption, certification, and trust in the "ecolabel" in one of the simplest ways. It is a trademark awarded to the top 20-30% of products that have undergone rigorous review and demonstrate the best environmental performance across various product categories. Currently, over 50 countries worldwide promote the Ecolabel. Taiwan's Ecolabel features a green leaf wrapping a clean, unpolluted Earth, symbolizing the environmental principles of "recyclability, low pollution, and resource conservation." Consumers who use Ecolabel-certified green products to replace traditional products can reap significant environmental benefits. The Ecolabel is aligned with the EU RoSE (Royalty Insurance Program)...

2008-09-02

The EU's "Registration, Evaluation and Control of Chemicals" regulation has sparked heated debate within the WTO Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade.

The EU's REACH Regulation on the Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals sparked controversy at the WTO Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade meeting on November 9, 2007. REACH requires manufacturers and importers of chemical substances (including substances, preparations, and finished products) with an annual production or import volume exceeding one tonne within the EU to collect complete information on the chemical substances in their products and register with the European Chemicals Agency (ECFA) before production or import. Chemical substances classified as hazardous require authorization before they can be marketed or used. The REACH Regulation came into effect on June 1, 2007, and is expected to complete the registration of all chemical substances within 11 years. According to a press release from the World Trade Organization (WTO), Argentina raised several concerns about the REACH Regulation at the Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade meeting, including the complexity of the regulation, the vague definitions of terms, the potential lack of consistency in registration application procedures among member states, and the impact of the regulation on non-EU companies and SMEs. Countries around the world, including China, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Taiwan, Thailand, and the United States, have expressed the same concerns as Argentina. Upon learning of these reactions, the EU stated that it has begun revising the REACH regulation in response to the feedback received, and pointed out that the European Commission should be responsible for standardizing the registration process. Furthermore,

2008-09-02

The European Commission publishes product safety assessment report

The European Commission published a consumer product safety assessment report on November 22nd of this year, noting significant progress made by mainland China in addressing toy safety issues. The report outlines a series of recommendations to address deficiencies in the existing consumer product safety mechanism. The Commission's assessment focuses on the roles of all participants in the supply chain, member state authorities, and international cooperation in ensuring that unsafe products are not sold in the EU market. The Commission also reviewed EU product safety law, covering multiple policy areas (industry, trade, taxation, environment, and foreign relations) to identify any loopholes. The assessment report proposes several measures in four main areas, primarily concerning the implementation and enforcement of existing product safety regulations. Enforcement: The assessment report found that the current EU legislative framework provides adequate protection for consumers, but the relevant legislation needs to be effectively enforced. Industry Operators: The assessment report emphasizes that, according to Directive 2001/95/EC on general product safety, manufacturers and importers are responsible for ensuring that products sold on the market are safe and harmless. Therefore, businesses must develop inspection procedures to ensure that product design and manufacturing processes meet safety standards, and to assess finished products. The report stipulates that importers and retailers must obtain guarantees from suppliers proving the safety of products to be sold on the market. The report proposes several new measures for operators, including: Member State Regulatory Authorities. The European Commission has indicated it will cooperate with Member State regulatory authorities.

2008-09-02

Experts from BASF in Germany answer questions about REACH from the Taiwanese industry

At the REACH International Symposium held in Taiwan on November 9th this year, Dr. Renate Becker-Arnold of BASF (Germany) provided detailed answers to common questions from the Taiwanese industry regarding REACH. The answers in the Q&A set (please refer to the attachment) represent only Dr. Renate Becker-Arnold's interpretation of the issues and do not represent the EU or have any legal effect. – Reference source: ITRI/BASF Dr. Renate Becker-Arnold 2007-12-21 Other related files download: 20071109_ITRI_TW_Question and Answers.pdf

2008-09-02

American environmental groups have discovered more contaminated toys.

More than 12 U.S. environmental health organizations have claimed that numerous children's toys, jewelry, and backpacks have been found to contain excessive amounts of lead after testing. This investigation began following a recent recall of lead-containing toys due to safety concerns, and the survey covered more than 1,200 products from chain stores and company-owned stores. The results showed that 17% of the 1,200 products tested exceeded the federal government's lead limits. Tracey Easthope, director of the Environmental Health Program at the Environmental Research Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, stated, "The findings do not indicate an immediate danger to consumers, but they do show that the government has not fulfilled its oversight responsibility in testing products containing toxic chemicals, and that too many manufacturers lack self-regulation regarding their products." Children's toys and jewelry accounted for one-third of the tested products. The primary test for these toys and jewelry was whether they contained lead, as young children are particularly vulnerable to exposure to lead. The other two-thirds of the tested products were tested for lead and eight other potentially hazardous chemicals, including antimony, arsenic, bromine, cadmium, chlorine, chromium, mercury, and tin. The test results revealed that some of the tested products also contained significant levels of cadmium and arsenic. However, it is important to note that this investigation did not further assess the direct health effects of the tested products containing these chemicals.

2008-09-02

The greenhouse effect is taking its toll: Argentina's largest glacier collapses in winter for the first time.

(AFP, Buenos Aires, July 7) Scientists and environmentalists said today that a massive ice wall on Argentina's Morino Glacier will collapse for the first time during the Southern Hemisphere winter, likely due to global warming. This ice wall, about 60 meters high, is a major tourist attraction in the Patagonian highlands, blocking part of Lake Argentino. It typically collapses every one to several years, usually only in the summer. The Glacier National Park stated, "This is the first time the glacier has collapsed in winter, possibly related to global warming, as rising temperatures affect the friction of the ice." The Morino Glacier is one of the world's largest glaciers, covering an area of 275 square kilometers and with an outlet width of 5 kilometers, located 2,800 kilometers southeast of Buenos Aires.

2008-07-08

The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) has published draft requirements for toys containing magnets.

The proposal will be discussed at the CEN annual meeting in June. The next step is to initiate the voting process.

2008-07-08

As China's economy continues to integrate with the world economy, the international market is placing increasing demands on REACH.

REACH is a proposed regulation concerning the production, trade, and safe use of chemicals. It aims to strengthen the protection of human health and the environment, maintain and enhance the competitiveness of the EU chemical industry, safeguard the EU single market, increase the transparency of chemical information and related legislation, reduce the use of test animals, promote non-animal testing, and ensure that EU measures are consistent with its obligations under the WTO framework.

2008-07-08

A recent risk assessment report on bisphenol A (BPA) was published in Part I of the Canadian Gazette.

The Canadian Gazette recently published a risk assessment report on bisphenol A (BPA) in Part 1 of its Canadian Gazette and announced a 60-day public comment period on whether to ban polycarbonate baby bottles containing BPA.

2008-07-08

雙酚A（Bisphenol A)

Bisphenol A (BPA) can be used to synthesize PC (polycarbonate) and epoxy resins. When these materials come into contact with hot liquids, the release of BPA can reach 55 times the normal level. BPA has low acute toxicity; the oral LD50 for mice is 3250 mg/kg. However, BPA can disrupt the human endocrine system, raising concerns that long-term, trace-level ingestion may lead to chronic poisoning. Due to public concerns about BPA, on April 18, 2008, Tony Clement, Canada's Minister of Health, announced that the Canadian government intended to ban the import, sale, and advertising of PC baby bottles containing BPA. A 60-day public comment period was opened starting April 18, 2008, with an assessment scheduled for October of that year regarding whether the ban would take effect. Walmart announced that it would immediately stop selling food containers, baby bottles, sippy cups, pacifiers, and other products containing BPA in Canada. Walmart planned to gradually phase out the sale of BPA-containing baby bottles in the United States by 2009. On the same day, Nalgene also announced it would stop using bisphenol A (BPA) in its products. Public health concerns led a significant number of retailers in the United States to cease using BPA. In 2005, Patagonia stopped selling PC bottles, and in 2006, Whole Milk...

2008-05-28

Energy Star Information Technology IT Carbon Reduction Campaign Begins

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is encouraging all organizations to join the Energy Star Low Carbon IT Campaign. Managing computer and monitor power, or putting them into sleep mode, can help mitigate rising electricity demand, thus saving energy and costs. If all computers and monitors in U.S. offices were put into sleep mode when not in use, it is estimated that over 44 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, or $4 billion, could be saved, equivalent to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from 5 million vehicles annually. The following organizations and companies have joined the Energy Star Low Carbon IT Campaign: Advanced Micro Devices Inc., Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc., Association of Bay Area Governments Energy Watch, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Dell Inc., Fox Entertainment Group Inc., HP, Microsoft, OfficeMax, and City of Portland (Oregon).

2008-05-02

The EU reiterated that quantitative targets are needed to combat global warming.

A senior official from the European Commission today reiterated the call for quantified targets to effectively combat climate change. Jos Delbeke, the EU's Deputy Secretary-General for the Environment, said, "We want to structure such a discussion…like our discussions in Europe, with a quantified target to systematize emissions reduction." Delbeke made these remarks after attending a meeting in Tokyo with the G20 countries, the world's largest group of air polluters. EU leaders last week agreed to implement new legislation by March 2009 to achieve a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, and to increase the use of green energy within the same target period. However, Delbeke did not express support for Japan's proposal to cap emissions from major polluting industries. He said, "We in the EU agree with Japan that different economic sectors will have very different climate change policies. So a different solution for each economic sector would be useful." (Central News Agency translation) Updated: 2008/03/18 22:20

2008-03-19

The fourth and fifth EuP Directive Consultation Forums are about to be held.

According to Section 18 of the EuP Directive, which stipulates consultation forums, "The Commission shall ensure that the implementation of each of its relevant implementation measures adheres to the principle of balanced participation – representatives of Member States and stakeholders of the products in question, including SMEs and trade associations, business associations, traders, retailers, importers, environmental groups, and consumer organizations. These stakeholders shall contribute to the formulation and review of implementation measures, examine the effectiveness of market surveillance mechanisms, and evaluate voluntary agreements and other safety safeguards. These stakeholders shall participate in consultation forums. The rules of procedure for consultation forums shall be established by the European Commission." Since the EuP Directive came into effect, three consultation forums have been held. The first consultation forum was held on June 22, 2007, focusing on eco-design requirements for street lighting. The second consultation forum was held on October 19, 2007, focusing on energy consumption in standby and shutdown modes of household appliances, and eco-design requirements for office equipment. The third consultation forum was held on December 18, 2007, focusing on eco-design requirements for general lighting equipment and luminaires. The European Commission has announced that the fourth consultation forum will be held on February 22, 2008, to discuss eco-design requirements for external power supplies and simple set-top boxes. The fifth consultation forum will be held in Belgium on February 29, 2008, to discuss eco-design requirements for boilers and water heaters. Information and agendas for the above consultation forums can be found at http://ec.europ.

2008-02-26

EU strictly regulates toy safety directive

The European Commission has tightened its Toy Safety Directive. On January 25th of this year, the Commission adopted a bill to amend the Toy Safety Directive (Directive 88/378/EC), incorporating several stringent new measures targeting manufacturers and exporters of toys sold in the EU market. These include a ban on toy manufacturers using toxic chemicals in toys, and the responsibilities of toy importers are also defined. The original intention of reviewing the Toy Safety Directive was to simplify, clarify, and innovate existing legislation to keep pace with technological advancements. However, due to the recall of over 20 million toys last year due to safety issues, the Commission, under pressure from various parties, had to make significant revisions to the Toy Safety Directive. The bill proposes several reforms, including prohibiting toys and toy parts from containing substances that are carcinogenic, mutagenic, or harmful to fertility. The amendment adds Article 5, outlining the responsibilities of importers, including: complying with applicable regulations; verifying the following before putting toys on the market: the manufacturer has conducted appropriate conformity assessment procedures; the manufacturer has prepared technical documentation; the toy bears the designated conformity mark and required documentation; and indicating the importer's name and contact address on the toy. If an importer has reason to believe that a toy does not comply with regulations, they must immediately notify the relevant Member State authorities and provide information on corrective measures, including withdrawing the product from the market or recalling it to consumers. The bill also prohibits the use of many allergens and fragrances already banned in cosmetics in toys, or introduces stricter labeling regulations. Furthermore, it addresses warning statements on toys.

2008-02-26

The European Science Committee comments on the environmental risk assessment report of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA)

On January 15, 2008, the European Commission's Scientific Committee on Health and the Environment (SCHER) (1) issued a comment based on the environmental impact results of the June 2007 risk assessment report for tetrabromobisphenol A (2). SCHER believes that "overall, tetrabromobisphenol A has excellent performance (good quality)." In principle, SCHER agrees with the conclusions made in the Risk Assessment Report (RAR). For example, tetrabromobisphenol A used in reactive form in epoxy resins for printed circuit boards does not pose significant risks to the environment. However, specific plastics (ABS) that use tetrabromobisphenol A in an additive form have been confirmed to cause risks to soil, sediment and water during the production process. Therefore, the European Union adopts the Risk Reduction Strategy (RRS) to reduce the use of tetrabromobisphenol A in the industry to reduce this risk without restricting the trade and use of tetrabromobisphenol A. SCHER suggested the conclusion that (i) tetrabromobisphenol A may decompose into bisphenol A. This also reaffirms RAR's conclusion that "no risks have been identified at this stage." The EU Executive Commission will refer to SCHER's recommendations, together with the completed RAR and RRS, and publish the final recommendations for tetrabromobisphenol A in the official journal.

2008-02-25