Latest news with #MarionWalsmann
Euronews
23-04-2025
- Business
- Euronews
EU Commission withdrew patent file to push for agreement, says industry chief
ADVERTISEMENT The European Commission withdrew a proposal on Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) in a bid to reach a broader agreement on the topic, EU Industry Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné told lawmakers of the European Parliament's Legal Affairs (JURI) committee on Wednesday. 'The overall aim is to have an agreement and to push the Council to adopt a position on the text," he said adding that withdrawing the paper may have been "radical" but was done "to try to move things [along]'. The rules on SEPs were agreed by the Parliament in February 2024 - with 454 votes for, 83 against and 78 abstentions - before the Commission signalled this year it intended to withdraw the proposal, surprising many. In April 2023, the Commission published its plan for a regulation on SEPs, which are patents that protect the technology deemed essential in a technical standard or specification, used in the automotive, smart energy, and payment industry. The rules were aimed at improving transparency and predictability in SEP licensing, to ensure fairness and efficiency in the licensing process, limiting costs that can arise from disputes, and to incentivise patent holders to create products based on the latest standardised technologies that will benefit businesses and consumers. Several politicians including rapporteur Marion Walsmann (Germany/EPP) wrote to the Commission on the withdrawal ahead of the discussion with the Commissioner. The EU executive has until August to formally decide whether to scrap the file. The decision fits into the broader simplification agenda of this Von der Leyen Commission which said it wants to reduce the burden on companies and cut red tape.
See - Sada Elbalad
13-04-2025
- Business
- See - Sada Elbalad
EU Agrees to Ban Toxic Chemicals in Toys for Protection of Children's Health
Taarek Refaat Press Release On Thursday evening, Parliament and Council negotiators reached a provisional agreement on new EU toy safety rules to enhance the protection of children's health and development. The deal strengthens the role of economic operators in improving toy safety, and clarifies requirements for safety warnings and the digital product passport (DPP). It expands the list of prohibited substances in toys. Ban on harmful chemicals In addition to the existing prohibition of carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reproductive toxic (CRM) substances, the agreed text also bans chemicals that pose particular risks to children, such as endocrine disruptors, substances harmful to the respiratory system, and chemicals that are toxic for the skin and other organs. At Parliament's insistence, the new rules will ban the intended use of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) and the most dangerous types of bisphenols. Allergenic fragrances will be banned in toys for children under 36 months and in toys meant to be placed in the mouth. Safety assessment Before placing a toy on the market, manufacturers will have to carry out a safety assessment on all potential hazards − chemical, physical, mechanical, and electrical. The assessment will also have to test toys' flammability, hygiene, and radioactivity, and take children's specific vulnerabilities into account. For example manufacturers should, where appropriate, ensure that digital toys do not pose risks to children's mental health − as requested by Parliament negotiators. Economic operators and online marketplaces The agreed rules clarify the obligations of economic operators, such as manufacturers, importers, and distributors. This also includes fulfillment service providers (companies responsible for storing, packaging, and dispatching toys). Changes were also introduced to align the agreed text with other legislation, such as the General Product Safety Regulation, the Ecodesign framework and the Digital Services Act. The text clarifies requirements for online marketplaces, reflecting their growing role in the sale and promotion of toys. For example, marketplaces will have to design their platforms so as to allow sellers to display the CE mark, safety warnings, and a link (such as a QR code) to the digital product passport, to be visible before the purchase is completed. Digital product passport All toys sold in the EU will have to bear a clearly visible digital product passport (DPP) showing compliance with the relevant safety rules. The DPP will enhance the traceability of toys and make market surveillance and customs checks simpler and more efficient. It will also offer consumers easy access to safety information and warnings, via a QR code, for example. Rapporteur Marion Walsmann (EPP, Germany) said: 'Although we already have the safest toys in the world in the European Union, one in five products categorised as dangerous and withdrawn from the market by the EU was a toy. It was therefore very important to revise the 2009 Toy Safety Directive. We are reducing the risks posed by hazardous chemicals in toys and ensuring better labelling, including in online retail. We have also future-proofed the regulation: the Commission will be able to react more quickly to new scientific findings on chemical substances.. The new Toy Safety Regulation sends out a strong signal: for the protection of our children, fair competition and for Europe as a business location.' Parliament and the Council have concluded an "early second reading agreement" (the negotiation took place after Parliament's first reading was adopted in plenary). The Council is now expected to adopt this agreement formally, and Parliament will then have to endorse the text in plenary, in second reading. The regulation will enter into force 20 days after its publication in the EU Official Journal. Member states will then have 54 months to comply with the provisions. read more CBE: Deposits in Local Currency Hit EGP 5.25 Trillion Morocco Plans to Spend $1 Billion to Mitigate Drought Effect Gov't Approves Final Version of State Ownership Policy Document Egypt's Economy Expected to Grow 5% by the end of 2022/23- Minister Qatar Agrees to Supply Germany with LNG for 15 Years Business Oil Prices Descend amid Anticipation of Additional US Strategic Petroleum Reserves Business Suez Canal Records $704 Million, Historically Highest Monthly Revenue Business Egypt's Stock Exchange Earns EGP 4.9 Billion on Tuesday Business Wheat delivery season commences on April 15 News Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Lifestyle Pistachio and Raspberry Cheesecake Domes Recipe News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Arts & Culture Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's $4.7M LA Home Burglarized Videos & Features Bouchra Dahlab Crowned Miss Arab World 2025 .. 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Euronews
11-04-2025
- Health
- Euronews
EU seeks safer toxin-free children's toys with stricter rules
ADVERTISEMENT Chemicals that pose risks to children's health and development will now be banned from toys sold in the EU, introducing stricter safety requirements for manufacturers and sellers, including those operating on online platforms, EU institutions agreed on Thursday. The new rules update the bloc's 2009 Toy Safety Directive with further restrictions on the use of hazardous substances. 'We have also future-proofed the regulation, the Commission will be able to react more quickly to new scientific findings on chemical substances,' said MEP Marion Walsmann (Germany/EPP), negotiator from the European Parliament. The regulation introduces essential safety standard to ensure a high level of health and safety protection for children. It imposes a ban on chemicals that can cause cancer, alter DNA, or harm reproductive organs, but also other dangerous substances such as endocrine disruptors, respiratory sensitisers and PFAS, also known as 'forever chemicals'. It also bans skin sensitisers and toys treated with biocides, except for toys meant to stay outdoors. Biocidal products are used to protect people and animals against harmful organisms, like pests or bacteria. The agreement further limits the use of preservatives and prohibits fragrance allergens in toys intended for children under three years old, or in toys meant to be placed in the mouth. 'Children's safety must always come first. While the EU's toy safety rules are among the strictest in the world, we must remain vigilant, adapt the rules to emerging risks and ensure that safety standards are met for all toys – whether made in Europe or abroad,' said Krzysztof Paszyk, Polish Minister for Economic Development and Technology in a press release after the agreement. Before introducing a toy to the market, manufacturers will be required to carry out a safety assessment covering all potential risks, including chemical, physical, mechanical, electrical, flammability, hygiene and radioactivity hazards. Related Exposure to 'forever chemicals' linked to gut health and kidney damage in young adults, study finds Children are especially vulnerable Walsmann noted that although the European market already offers 'the safest toys in the world', one in five products flagged as dangerous and withdrawn from the EU market is a toy. 'The PFAS restriction is a step forward in the fight against pollution from these forever chemicals. By restricting PFAS in toys, co-legislators have made the Toy Safety law future-proof and aligned with standards in other parts of the world,' said Ioana Bere, EU Policy advocate at CHEM Trust, an European charity that works to protect human health and the environment from harmful chemicals. A study by a Danish consumer organisation found that more than 60% of 121 children's products sampled including toys, blankets and feeding bottles contained or released at least one bisphenol – a chemical harmful for the brain and prostate gland of foetuses, infants and children. In many cases, two or more bisphenols were found. New requirements for online sellers 'Toys are among the most reported product category in the EU's alert system for dangerous products,' said Agustín Reyna, Director General of BEUC, a European consumers organisation. He added that while the new rules are strong on paper, enforcement is key and member states must now provide the resources needed for authorities to ensure that only safe toys are sold. BEUC's recent study on the safety of toys sold in the Chinese online marketplace Temu concluded that the platform 'is an entry point for dangerous products in Europe'. ADVERTISEMENT To tackle this, the new rules introduce specific obligations for online sellers to comply with broader EU laws, including the Digital Services Act. All toys sold in the European market now need a digital product passport showing they meet safety standards. This, according to the legislators, will facilitate to track the products, improve checks by market inspectors and customs and increase transparency.
Euronews
03-04-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Lawmakers seek clarity on patents withdrawal from EU Industry Commissioner
ADVERTISEMENT Lawmakers of the European Parliament's Legal Affairs committee have demanded clarity from the European Commission on its intention to withdraw a proposal on Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) ahead of a hearing with the EU commissioner in charge, Stéphane Séjourné, on 23 April. Several politicians including rapporteur Marion Walsmann (Germany/EPP), the chair of the Legal Affairs Committee, Ilhan Kyuchyuk (Bulgaria/Renew), and MEP Tiemo Wölken (Germany/S&D) have written to the Commission on the withdrawal. The withdrawal came as a surprise to many. In April 2023, the Commission published its plan for a regulation on SEPs, which are patents that protect the technology deemed essential in a technical standard or specification, used in the automotive, smart energy, and payment industry. The rules were aimed at improving transparency and predictability in SEP licensing, to ensure fairness and efficiency in the licensing process, limit costs that can arise from disputes, and to incentivise patent holders to create products based on the latest standardised technologies that will benefit businesses and consumers. The current SEPs market is fragmented, with no organisation in charge of informing firms about who holds which key patents and how much they ask for their use. This makes it difficult for companies to develop new devices using the technologies covered by these patents. The Parliament had already adopted its negotiating position on 28 February last year (with 454 votes for, 83 against and 78 abstentions). Walsmann said at the time of the committee vote in January 2024 that it will 'bring much-needed transparency to an opaque system, make negotiations fairer and more efficient, and strengthen European technological sovereignty.' However, in early February, the EU executive announced the intention to scrap the file, claiming that there is 'no foreseeable agreement' , and that it will assess 'whether another proposal should be tabled or another type of approach should be chosen.' In the EU Council member states are divided about the way forward with SEPs. A group of five countries including Germany sent a letter on 27 March to the Polish Presidency calling for negotiations to be continued in the Council. 'The withdrawal of the text came as a surprise to us,' a diplomat from one country which did not sign the letter but wanted to pursue the talks told Euronews, 'we need to be able to change the Commission's mind with arguments. We were in the process of negotiating a compromise.' The Commission has until August to formally scrap the file, after consulting the member states and European Parliament.
