EU notified a new restriction on lead in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products

European Union

SVHC and restrictions Plastics

EU notified the Draft Commission Regulation amending Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards lead and its compounds in PVC.

This draft Regulation would amend entry 63 to Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006.

It would prohibit the use of lead and lead compounds in PVC articles. Moreover, it would prohibit the placing on the market of PVC articles containing a concentration of lead equal or greater than 0,1% of the PVC. The Regulation provides for a number of derogations to this restriction, inter alia for PVC-silica separators in lead acid batteries and PVC articles containing recovered rigid PVC. To benefit from the latter derogation, the recovered origin of the PVC material needs to be certified by an independent third party.