Eighth extension for EU phthalates ban

The European Commission has announced a further three-month extension of the EU's ban on the use of six phthalate compounds in PVC toys designed to be sucked or mouthed by children under three. Prohibition was introduced in December 1999, and this is the eighth time the banning order has been renewed while EU governments struggle to reach a consensus on permanent controls. These could either confirm prohibition or set limits on the chemicals' migration into saliva based on recently-validated test methods. See Commission decision.