Sweden advocates the ban on the import of textiles and apparel containing NPE to the European Union

Sweden has notified the European Chemicals Agency that it will prepare a document on nonylphenol polyoxyethylene ether (NPE).

The document will be drafted by the Swedish Chemicals Agency and set out the justifications for the ban on the importation of NPE-containing textiles into the EU, which is expected to be submitted to the European Chemicals Agency by August 2012.

The Swedish initiative may eventually lead to the European Union’s complete ban on the sale of textiles containing NPE. The Swedish Chemicals Agency estimates that it may take only two years to include the ban in the European Chemicals Registration, Evaluation and Permission Regulations (REACH Regulation).

NPE is a biodegradable surfactant that is extremely toxic to aquatic organisms. The EU restrictions on the use of NPEs and exceptions are set out in Annex XVII of the REACH Regulation. Annex XVII currently states that NPE should not be placed on the market. If it is used for the following purposes, its concentration must not exceed 0.1% of the mass: