EU bans 22 hair dye substances on health concerns[de] 

The Commission said that the ban, pronounced on 20 July, will only concern substances "for which industry has not submitted any safety files at all". It will enter into force on 1 December 2006.

"Substances for which there is no proof that they are safe will disappear from the market," said Commission Vice-President Günter Verheugen, responsible for enterprise and industry policy. He added that the decision will "also give legal certainty to European cosmetics industry."

The decision was taken upon recommendation of the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP), an advisory body to the Commission made up of scientists designated by the 25-member bloc.

By the end of last year, the cosmetics industry had submitted 115 files on hair dye substances for evaluation by the SCCP. The ban concern 22 substances for which no files have been submitted. The others are currently being assessed by the SCCP who will emit its next round of opinion in October this year.

In an opinion  dated 17 December 2002, the SCCP said there is epidemiological evidence showing that "the regular and long term use of hair dyes by women may be associated with the development of bladder cancer". An overall strategy  was subsequently agreed to test the cosmetic ingredients used in hair dye substances for their potential genotoxicity or mutagenicity.