Brussels calls for ban on phosphates in detergents from 2013

Nov 4, 2010, 14:47 GMT

Brussels - European Union member states should ban phosphates and limit other phosphorous compounds in laundry detergents from 2013, the bloc's executive said Thursday.

Phosphates act as a soluble fertilizer that is extremely hard to remove from water. When released into river systems, they give a massive boost to algae and water weed, which can in turn choke all other life out of the water.

Eight EU countries - France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Sweden and the Czech Republic - already forbid phosphate use, while Ireland, Slovenia and Finland have voluntary bans in place.

The commission wants to harmonize rules with an EU-wide ban on phosphates in laundry detergents and a limit for other phosphorous compounds to 0.5 per cent of the product's weight.

Replacing phosphates with less polluting ingredients would cost the industry 13 million euros (18.5 million dollars) but would significantly reduce wastewater-treatment costs, the EU executive estimated, arguing that its proposal makes economic sense.

According to commission sources, most phosphates found in Europe's waters come from farms and sewage discharge. Detergents, which use phosphates to counter the effects of hard water, are the third most common source.

But in enclosed waters such as the Danube and the Baltic Sea, detergents can cause up to a quarter of all phosphate pollution.

The commission proposals only cover detergents for washing clothes, not detergents for use in dishwashers and by professional cleaners, because cost-effective alternatives to phosphates for the latter two uses are not yet widely available. The commission is to return to that question by the end of 2014.

EU member states and the European Parliament will have to approve the proposals before they come into law.