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22. 10. 2019

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Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAM) of interior furnishings - Some changes

The Ministry of the Environment, following the many difficulties found by the actors involved in the application of the technical specifications contained in Annex 1 of the Ministerial Decree of 11 January 2017, issued the Ministerial Decree of 3 July 2019 (published in the Official Journal of the General Series No. 167 of 18.07.2019) which makes some changes relating to green purchases of interior furnishings for the public administration.

The changes are:
In the paragraph 3.2.1 - relating to the dangerous substances contained in the components, parts or materials used for the manufacture of the furnishings in point 6, the reference to the use of nickel and hexavalent chromium in plating operations was eliminated.

In the paragraph 3.2.3 relating to the contaminants in the recycled wood panels is added, in the table the symbols of the chemical elements and a specific inherent to the creosote that must be identified through Benzo (a) pyrene (Aromatic polycyclic hydrocarbon).

In the paragraph 3.2.5 - relating to the residues of chemicals for textiles and leather the wrong value of the chrome ≤ 2 is replaced by the value ≤ 200 as foreseen in the European Toolkit and by the EU Ecolabel.

In the paragraph 3.4.1 - relating to the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of finished products or manufactured articles the reference of 28 days was eliminated as time to verify the criterion.
However, the changes made to the CAMs related to the supply and rental service of interior furnishings from the Ministerial Decree of 3 July 2019 were already subject to specific clarifications provided by the Ministry of the Environment regarding Annex 1 of the Ministerial Decree of 11 January 2017.

The CAMs we are discussing are under review and CATAS, along with other associations involved in the furniture wood supply chain, is actively participating.

For info:
Daniele Bergamasco
+39 0432 747249
bergamasco@catas.com