Why has the European Commission decided to take action against creosote?
The European Union has had concerns over the carcinogenic potential of creosote and coal tar creosote for some time. In 1994, to control the specification of the creosote in amateur products, they restricted the levels of one of the chemicals in amateur creosote products, benzo-alpha-pyrene, to less than 0.005 % by mass, and this was implemented in Great Britain via restrictions on the specification of products approved under The Control of Pesticides Regulations. However, since then a recent study has led a EU scientific committee (the CSTEE) to conclude that creosote has a greater potential to cause cancer than previously thought, and that the level of the risk gives them reasons for concern. To protect human health and the environment the European Commission have therefore taken action to prohibit amateur use of creosote products and to restrict the use of creosote treated wood. The action being taken across the EU to ban the amateur use of creosote is a precautionary measure. Any r
