92001E0145

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0145/01

by Toine Manders (ELDR) and Jules Maaten (ELDR) to the Commission

(31 January 2001)

Subject: Inflammable clothing

A terrible fire at a cafe bar in Volendam in the Netherlands recently cost ten people their lives as well as endangering the lives of dozens of others or leaving them permanently disfigured. One of the causes of the fire was the presence of dangerous, inflammable products, including clothing. In response to the incident, the Dutch clothing industry announced that it would be taking voluntary steps to indicate on the labels of clothing the inflammability of the material used.

1. Could the Commission examine the feasibility, and desirability, of European legislation laying down a requirement throughout Europe for the inflammability of clothing to be indicated on the label, in order that consumers are aware of the risks?

2. Following on from question 1, could the Commission look into whether it is feasible, and desirable, for all consumer products which may be inflammable to carry similar warning labels for consumers?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(7 March 2001)

Clothing is not subject to specific Community legislation as far as its inflammability is concerned. It falls under the scope of Council Directive 92/59/EEC of 29 June 1992 on general product safety(1), which imposes a general safety obligation. This Directive refers to European standards, conformity with which confers presumption of conformity with the general safety obligation in the new version of the Directive which is currently being revised.

In December 2000, the Commission issued a mandate to the European Committee for Standardisation, with a view to creating European standards concerning the inflammability of night-dresses in response to statistics demonstrating the particular risk associated with this item of clothing. The Commission now intends to study the need for a new mandate covering the inflammability of other types of clothing. To do this, it will initiate consultation with Member States and other interested parties, such as consumer associations and industry federations, to gather their opinions on this subject and to obtain data and statistics on accidents that have occurred over the last few years.

The Commission considers that warning labels could supplement the available technical solutions, if these solutions do not completely eliminate the risk. The standards body could provide for warnings in the absence of any other satisfactory solution.

(1) OJ L 228, 11.8.1992.