Brussels, 04/11/2010 (Agence Europe) - Detergent phosphate discharges into water are the third main cause of “eutrophication” of the aquatic environment. This phenomenon consists of a proliferation in algae, which is harmful to other forms of aquatic life and is currently affecting many European areas, particularly the Danube and the Baltic Sea. In an effort to reduce the environmental impact of this phenomenon, the European Commission presented a proposal on Thursday 4 November to eventually ban the use of phosphates and limit the content of other phosphorous containing compounds in laundry detergents.
In practice, the draft regulation proposes a phosphorous content limit of 0.5 % of the total weight of the product in all laundry detergents on the EU market. This will apply as of 1st January 2013, to allow detergent manufacturers to minimise the costs of modifying the composition of laundry detergents in a normal product life cycle. It does not affect detergents for automatic dishwashers or those used by professionals, as technically and economically feasible alternatives are not yet available throughout the EU. On this point, European Commission Vice-President Antonio Tajani, Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship said: “The Commission will keep under review industry's progress in the development of technically and economically viable alternatives for automatic dishwasher detergents through innovation”. The proposal foresees the need to re-assess the situation regarding automatic dishwasher detergents by 31 December 2014. (O.L./transl.fl)