The question had been asked by Denmark, which had decided to go farther than the requirements of the European regulation and to ban, on its territory, two Parabens (Propylparaben and Butylparaben) in cosmetics designed for children under three. The European Commission had then to determine whether the common rule applicable to all the Member-States should be changed, and whether the ban should be applicable in the entire Union. It had required the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) opinion. This opinion has been published on October 10, 2011.
October 20, 2011
In its Article 12, the Directive (which is still applicable until the new
Regulation
replaces it on July 2013) states that 'If a Member State notes, on the basis of a substantiated justification, that a
cosmetic product
, although complying with the requirements of the Directive, represents a hazard to health, it may provisionally prohibit the marketing of that product in its territory or subject it to special conditions."
Using this frame, Denmark had plans to ban Propylparaben and Butylparaben and their salts in cosmetic products designed for children under three. This is enforced in this country since 15 March 2011, thanks to their significant propensity to be endocrine disruptors .
The clarification by the SCCS
In a recent opinion, December 2010 , confirmed in March 2011, the SCCS had taken into account these specific properties and recommended to lower the maximum allowable concentrations of these two parabens in cosmetics, down to 0.19%. The European Commission Services were ready to transpose in the European law, in parallel with a ban of five other parabens (including isopropyl- and isobutyl-), for which a safe use could not be guaranteed.
However, this opinion did not deal with the specific case …
