Declaration for an ambitious EU industrial strategy: Cefic (the European Chemical Industry Council) has published a declaration, co-signed with ninety industry federations, asking the European Commission to confirm its commitment to reaching 20% of GDP from industry and to adopt and implement an action plan to achieve this.
This will mean reversing the current decline in EU manufacturing which fell from nearly 19% to just over 15% 2000-2014, with a loss of nearly 4 million jobs.
Cefic 16 Feb. 2017 http://www.cefic.org/newsroom/top-story/EU-chemicals-join-92-sectors-asking-Commission-to-fulfil-promise-for-EU-industry-strategy-/
EU restrictions on DecaBDE published: The European Commission has published an amendment of the REACH Regulation, restricting the use of bis(pentabromophenyl)ether (DecaBDE) following the EU Risk Assessment Committee opinion. The new Regulation states that DecaBDE “shall not be manufactured or placed on the market … after 2 March 2019 (nor) any article or part thereof … (containing) > 0.1% by weight”. Use is however permitted in aircraft production until 2 March 2027.
European Commission Regulation 2017/227 of 9 February 2017 “amending Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) as regards bis(pentabromophenyl)ether” http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2017.035.01.0006.01.ENG&toc=OJ:L:2017:035:TOC
Researchers find TDCIPP metabolites: An assessment of 14 US studies (total 741 persons) detected metabolites two flame retardants used to substitute brominated FRs (TDCIPP also referred to as TDCP, a chlorinated organophosphorus FR, and TPHP also referred to as TPP, a non-halogenated organophosphorus FR) in over 90% of samples. Concentrations suggested increases from 2002 to 2015, particularly for TDCIPP metabolite, but with wide variations and very low concentrations (around 1 part per billion). The authors conclude that research is needed to determine whether exposure levels may have health effects.
TDCIPP = tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (or TDCP). TPHP = triphenyl phosphate (or TPP). “Temporal Trends in Exposure to Organophosphate Flame Retardants in the United States”, K. Hoffman et al., Environmental Science and Technology 2017 http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.6b00475