16/02/2010 - EU says sunbed rules not followed
Rules banning under-18s from using sunbeds are not enforced by some providers, the European Commission has said.
The claim was made following a survey of more than 500 sunbeds at tanning salons in EU countries such as Belgium, Cyprus and Poland. The survey, conducted between September 2008 and September 2009, also revealed that many sunbed providers do not offer enough guidance for users of the tanning machines and that one in seven sunbeds breaches radiation safety limits.
EU Health and Consumer Policy Commissioner John Dalli said: "I am concerned that a high percentage of sunbeds and sunbed services were found not to respect safety rules. This is an important health concern since the incidence of skin cancer is doubling every 15-20 years." However, he added that the sunbed industry was ready to play its part in making sure the safety rules were followed.
Industry Commissioner Antonio Tajani said: "I look forward to co-operating with member states on joint actions on the safe use of sunbeds. I believe this will strengthen consumers' trust, which is in the interest of both industry and Europeans."
Copyright © Press Association 2010
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