EU countries agree to expand textile chemical ban

The European Union member states agreed to ban the chemical nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPE) from textile imports. This extends the current EU REACH Regulation ((EC) NO 1907/2006, Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals), which bans NPE from all textiles manufactured regionally. The decision highlights a major push by the EU to regulate environmental pollutants as it pertains to all member states as whole.