Dangerous substances and preparations: azocolourants in textiles and leather (19th amend. Directive 76/769/EEC)

In approving the report drafted by Mr Emmanouil BAKOPOULOS (EUL/NGL, Gr), the European Parliament adopted the proposal on the azocolourants. However, this text was subject to a few amendments. The European Parliament would like the Commission to monitor very carefully the development of further tests methods, and will adjust the annexes to this Directive as soon as even more reliable test methods are available. Furthermore, Parliament want to ensure that handmade oriental carpets are temporarily exempted, until 1 January 2006, from the provisons on testing fabrics. It is stated that in the meantime, it would be desirable if carpet importers were to develop a voluntary quality mark for labelling those carpets for which the suppliers can already provide guarantees that they have been produced without using azocolourants. Furthermore, sleeping bags and pursues worn round the neck are articles which have the potential of coming into direct and prolonged contact with human skin or oral cavity and therefore should be banned. Lastly, in relation to the amines, the presence of these, listed in section A of the proposal, is to be tested, pending the conclusion of the work of Technical Committee 289 on Leather, either according to the Italian method UNI A90.00.00.028.0 of 1998 or according to the German official method of analysis referred to in Annex I of Directive 76/769/EEC.�