04/01/2000 (Agence Europe) - An official of the German Federal Service responsible for the environment, Umweltbundesamt, announced that the service was demanding the ban throughout Europe of tributyltine (TBT), a chemcial substance mainly used for coating ships' hulls. As we stand, in the EU, TBT is only banned for small boats (less than 25 metres); yet, it is now also used in the clothing sector and for carpets. TBT, therefore, comes into contact with the human body, whereas its harmfulness is now well known (even if the effects on the human body have not yet been determined with precision). In Belgium, TBT will be banned from 2003. Any European initiative will encompass the different national initiatives.