As part of its efforts to increase the protection of human health and the environment, the European Council of Ministers at the end of February came out in favour of stricter regulations for the use of cadmium in PVC products. The new laws have restricted the future distribution within the EU of products made of a wide range of polymers – PVC foremost among them – whose cadmium levels account for more than 0.01% of their weight. The only exception are parts made of recycled PVC, most of which are earmarked for the construction sector, including window shutters, profiles and pipes. In these instances, the upper range of cadmium content lies at 0.1%.

This amendment in effect replaces chemical regulation REACH’s appendix XXVI, which lists a range of special goods that contain cadmium stabilisers. The EU said its move was prompted by recent scientific studies claiming that REACH’s existing provisions on cadmium needed to be supplemented. Although the European parliament has the right to veto the amendment, it is not expected to do so.

The amended appendix could be published in EU documents from April at the earliest, and could pass into law six months later.