16.5.2012 Official Journal of the European Union L 128/1 II (Non-legislative acts) REGULATIONS COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 412/2012 of 15 May 2012 amending Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) (Text with EEA relevance) THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, (3)  Furniture and footwear available on the market in several Member States have been identified as the cause of damage to the health of consumers in France, Poland, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, (4) It was recognised that the health damage was caused by Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the DMF, which is a biocide that prevents moulds that may European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December deteriorate leather furniture or footwear during storage 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation or transport in a humid climate. DMF was most often and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), establishing a contained in little pouches fixed inside the furniture or European Chemicals Agency, amending Directive 1999/45/EC added to the footwear boxes. It evaporated and and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 and impregnated the product, protecting it from moulds. Commission Regulation (EC) No 1488/94 as well as Council However, it also affected consumers who were in Directive 76/769/EEC and Commission Directives 91/155/EEC, contact with those products_ DMF came into contact 93/67[EEC, 93/105/EC and 2000/21/EC (*), and in particular with consumers’ skin where it caused a number of Article 68(1) and Article 131 thereof, cases of sensitisation (contact dermatitis), resulting in a painful condition. In some cases, acute respiratory troubles were also reported. Dermatitis is particularly difficult to treat and the sensitisation is irreversible. Whereas: Because of its potential for sensitisation, exposure to DMF can elicit adverse reactions at very low concen- trations in sensitised subjects. (1) Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 provides that, if a Member State considers that the manufacture, placing on the market or use of a substance on its own, in a mixture or in an article poses a risk to human health or (5)  The marketing and use of DMF in biocidal products is the environment that is not adequately controlled and not permitted in the Union, according to Directive needs to be addressed, it shall prepare a dossier after 98/8/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council notifying that intention to the European Chemicals of 16 February 1998 concerning the placing of biocidal Agency (the Agency). products on the market (%) and to Commission Regu- lation (EC) No 1451/2007 of 4 December 2007 on the second phase of the 10-year work programme referred to in Article 16(2) of Directive 98/8/EC of the (2)  France has prepared a dossier concerning the substance European Parliament and of the Council concerning the dimethylfumarate (DMF) which demonstrates that DMF placing of biocidal products on the market (3). Therefore, contained in articles or parts thereof, in concentrations articles produced in the Union may not be treated with greater than 0,1 mg/kg, poses a risk to human health and DMF. However, Directive 98/8/EC does not foresee that action on a Union-wide basis, beyond any measures restricting the import into the Union of articles treated already in place, is necessary. That dossier was submitted with biocides. to the Agency in order to initiate the restriction process. - () OJ L 123, 24.4.1998, p. 1. () O] L 396, 30.12.2006, p 1. () O] L 325, 11.12.2007, p. 3.