Following the decision by the EU Competitiveness Council to seek a permanent ban on the use of DBP, DEHP and BBP in all children’s toys and childcare items and a ban on the use of three others - DINP, DIDP and DNOP - in toys and childcare items that can be put in the mouth by children under three years old the European PVC industry expressed its concern that political decisions are being made which misuse the precautionary principle. DINP has undergone an EU Scientific Risk Assessment and it has been agreed that children are not at risk from the use of DINP in toys. DINP has also been investigated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission in the United States and it also confirmed that there is no demonstrated health risk from its use in toys. However there is an opposing view which was made by the Scientific Committee on Toxicity, Eco-toxicity and the Environment in its opinion on the “Assessment of the Bioavailability of Certain Elements in Toys” which denied that there was no risk from DINP and which stated that EU policy is to give a "high priority to the protection of health of children" (EU White Paper on Environment and Health 2003). ECVM considers nevertheless very concerning that the EU is forcing substitution when less is known about the alternatives than the existing substances.