Message 001
Communication from the Commission - TRIS/(2017) 01983
Directive (EU) 2015/1535
Notificación - Oznámení - Notifikation - Notifizierung - Teavitamine - Γνωστοποίηση - Notification - Notification - Notifica - Pieteikums - Pranešimas - Bejelentés - Notifika - Kennisgeving - Zawiadomienie - Notificação - Hlásenie-Obvestilo - Ilmoitus - Anmälan - Нотификация : 2017/0353/UK - Notificare.
No abre el plazo - Nezahajuje odklady - Fristerne indledes ikke - Kein Fristbeginn - Viivituste perioodi ei avata - Καμμία έναρξη προθεσμίας - Does not open the delays - N'ouvre pas de délais - Non fa decorrere la mora - Neietekmē atlikšanu - Atidėjimai nepradedami - Nem nyitja meg a késéseket - Ma’ jiftaħx il-perijodi ta’ dawmien - Geen termijnbegin - Nie otwiera opóźnień - Não inicia o prazo - Neotvorí oneskorenia - Ne uvaja zamud - Määräaika ei ala tästä - Inleder ingen frist - Не се предвижда период на прекъсване - Nu deschide perioadele de stagnare - Nu deschide perioadele de stagnare.
(MSG: 201701983.EN)
1. MSG 001 IND 2017 0353 UK EN 28-07-2017 UK NOTIF
2. UK
3A. Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Europe Directorate
1 Victoria Street
London, SW1H 0ET
Email: technicalregulations@beis.gov.uk
3B. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Environment, Rural and Marine Directorate
9 Millbank c/o Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London, SW1P 3JR
Email: [***]
4. 2017/0353/UK - S00E
5. The Environmental Protection (Microbeads) (England) Regulations 2017
6. The regulations concern rinse-off personal care products containing microbeads.
“microbead” means any water-insoluble solid plastic particle of less than or equal to 5mm in any dimension.
"rinse-off personal care product" means any substance, or mixture of substances, manufactured for the purpose of being applied to any relevant human body part in the course of any personal care treatment, by an application which entails at its completion the prompt and specific removal of the product (or any residue of the product) by washing or rinsing with water, rather than leaving it to wear off or wash off, or be absorbed or shed, in the course of time;
and for this purpose—
(a) a “personal care treatment” means any process of cleaning, protecting or perfuming a relevant human body part, maintaining or restoring its condition or changing its appearance; and
(b) a “relevant human body part” is—
(i) any external part of the human body (any part of the epidermis, hair system, nails or lips);
(ii) the teeth; or
(iii) mucous membranes of the oral cavity.
7. -
8. The regulations prohibit the use of microbeads as an ingredient in the manufacture of rinse-off personal care products and the sale of any such products containing microbeads (both as defined in Section 6 above). Breach of a prohibition is an offence.
The prohibition on the manufacture of such products will come into force on 1 January 2018 and the prohibition on the sale of any such products will come into force on 30 June 2018.
Enforcement officers have powers of entry to carry out the necessary investigations in order to determine whether an offence has been committed.
A civil sanctions regime is introduced to enable the regulator to exercise a range of civil sanctions. These are variable monetary penalties, compliance notices, stop notices and enforcement undertakings.
The regulations apply to England only.
9. We are proposing to introduce legislation to ban the manufacture and sale of "rinse-off" cosmetics and personal care products containing microbeads on the grounds that they cause harm to living species in the marine environment.
Up to 680 tonnes of plastic microbeads are used in cosmetic products sold in the UK every year resulting in billions of tiny beads entering our seas annually. These microbeads do not biodegrade and accumulate in the marine environment because, once released in to the environment it is impossible to recover them. Although the precise scale of the impacts from microbeads is unknown, there is evidence that microbeads can be ingested by marine animals which reduces their capacity to digest food and reproduce.
Some businesses have already taken voluntary actions but others still continue to use microbeads. Engagement with the UK cosmetics industry indicates that more than 72% of major companies will have ceased to sell cosmetic products containing microbeads by 2017. In the cosmetics industry, there are suitable, economically feasible alternatives. Microbeads in cosmetics are therefore an avoidable source of marine pollution that should be minimised in keeping with scientific advice.
A ban of this kind would help to improve the state of the marine environment and address public concerns relating to marine environment impacts arising from such cosmetics products.
10. References of the Basic Texts: 1. Draft statutory instrument
2. 2-page summary of Defra-funded study showing evidence of harm of microplastics such as microbeads in the marine environment
3. Consultation document of our public consultation on our proposals to ban cosmetic and personal care products containing microbeads that may cause harm to the marine environment
4. Government response to the consultation
11. No
12. -
13. No
14. No
15. Yes
16. TBT aspect
Yes
SPS aspect
No - The draft is not a sanitary or phytosanitary measure
**********
European Commission
Contact point Directive (EU) 2015/1535
Fax: +32 229 98043
email: grow-dir2015-1535-central@ec.europa.eu
