Denmark proposed four phthalates - DEHP, DBP, DiBP, BBP to be identified as substances of very high concern (SVHCs) for their endocrine disrupting properties for human health and the environment. At the MSC meeting earlier this week, the Member State Committee (MSC) unanimously agreed to the identification of DEHP as a substance giving rise to equivalent level of concern due to its endocrine disrupting properties to the environment. For the other three phthalates (DBP, BBP, DiBP) Denmark decided to withdraw its proposals to identify these substances as SVHCs under Art 57(f) for the environment in order to further elaborate on the justifications provided in the documentation. These four phthalates are already listed in the Candidate List and Authorisation List due to their toxic for reproduction properties.

As regards the human health parts of Denmark's proposals, the MSC unanimously acknowledged that for all four substances there is scientific evidence on the endocrine activity and on the link between this activity and the adverse effects to human health. However, the MSC did not reach unanimous agreement on whether this constitutes an equivalent level of concern to CMRs (majority view), as a minority of members were of the view that the concern related to endocrine disruption is already covered by the existing identification as SVHC due to toxicity to reproduction.

An MSC opinion with majority and minority views will now need to be compiled. In line with Article 59(9) of REACH, the ECHA Secretariat will submit the MSC opinion on the Danish proposals to the European Commission after its adoption in the MSC meeting in February 2015. Within three months of the receipt of the MSC opinion, the Commission shall prepare a draft proposal on the identification of these substances as SVHCs because of their endocrine disrupting properties for human health. The Commission will take the final decision in the committee procedure.

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