Ban on second-hand wood treated with creosote
In October 2022, France submitted a restriction proposal for the placing on the market and the use of second-hand wood treated with creosote. Initially, France banned import and use nationally. Under REACH, they were also obliged to propose a European ban. In member states where creosote had been banned under the Biocidal Products Regulation, treated wood could still be imported and sold in practice. The proposal also aims to synergize with the authorization of creosote as an active substance under the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR, October 2022).
The French proposal has two objectives. The first goal is to reduce health risks from citizens' exposure to creosote. The second goal is to reduce environmental risks from the release and spread of creosote. The proposal only allows for the reuse of creosote for railway sleepers and telephone poles. And that only applies to those countries that have allowed new creosote for these applications under the BPR.
An opinion on the proposal was prepared by the Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) and the Socio-Economic Analysis Committee (SEAC). This also incorporated the 13 comments submitted during the consultation. Bureau REACH provided one of the SEAC rapporteurs and an advisor for drafting the opinion. Additionally, Bureau REACH provided comments during the discussions in RAC and SEAC. The result of the French proposal and the discussions in RAC and SEAC is a much simpler and more consistent restriction proposal on second-hand creosote than the original entry 31.