European Directive on nickel
European Directive on nickel
The multiplication of the national laws led the European Commission to propose
in its turn a legislative text. This text constitutes the 14th proposal for
an amendment of European Management 76/769/EEC relating to the dangerous substances.
This text was subjected in first reading to the European Parliament on October
27, 1993 and was the subject of many requests for amendment on behalf of the
members of Parliament. That did not prevent the Commission from again proposing
with the vote a text very close to the first. Presented on May 5, 1994 in second
reading, this docuxnent was, counters any waiting, accepted without discussion.
It gave place to publication (OJ of the European Communities of July 22, 1994) Directive 94/27/CE of the European Parliament and the Council of June 30, 1994. This Directive provides that nickel (and its compounds) should not be used:
1 - in the assemblies of introduced stems, temporarily or not in the ears bored, for the period of epithelisation of the wound caused by the perforation, unless these assemblies are not homogeneous and that nickel concentration in terms of nickel mass compared to the total mass - is not lower than 0,05 %;
2 - in the types of products intended to come into contact direct and prolonged with the skin, such as: - earrings - collars, bracelets and chains, bracelets of ankle and rings - cases, bracelets and clasps of watches - buttons with rivet, loops, rivets, zip fasteners and metal marks, when they are used in clothing. If the rate of release of the nickel which is released from the parts of these products coming into contact direct and prolonged with the skin is higher than 0,5 micron/g per square centimetre and week;
3 - in the types of products enumerated as in point 2 above when they are covered with a matter other than of nickel, unless this coating is sufficient to ensure only the rate of release of the nickel which is released from the parts of these products coming into contact direct and prolonged with the skin does not exceed 0,5 micron/g per square centimetre and week for one period of two years normal use to the minimum
The products concerned cannot be put on the market that if they satisfy the requirements which are stated there.
The implementation of the Directive in the European Convention countries will be done at the latest in the six months following the publication in Joumal Officiel of the Community of the standards of tests adopted by CEN (European Committee for Standardization) on the whole of the procedures of test making it possible to check the conformity of the products to the Directive. Six months after this date, it will be interdict to manufacture or import products nonin conformity, and 18 months after this same date, they could not be marketed any more.
Implementation of the Directive in the European Convention
The standards were published on the level of CEN (European Committee for Standardization), for the last of enter they, at the end of October 1998 and are in the course of transformation into national standards. Their reference was announced to the OJ of the European Communities of July 20, 1999. The decrees of application in national legislation should thus be published soon in the European Convention countries. It should be considered that the stop of the delivery by the manufacturers must be made at January 20, 2000 and that the availability of the consumer is not made any more after January 20, 2001. Controls will be probably ensured for France by the laboratories of the Customs and the DGCCRF.
Conclusion
For the installation of the jewels requiring the act of "Piercing", we recommend as of today the jewels carried out in materials according to: "Niobium", "PTFE", "Titanium" and "Blackline".
Since January 20, 2001, any jewel containing more than 0,05 % of nickel in term of total mass is illegal for the act of "Piercing".
After cicatrization, the totality of the jewels sold by Gevy piercing is to the standards.