Evaluation of the Aerosols Dispensers Directive 75/324/EC : final report 24 March 2017

The Aerosol Dispensers Directive (ADD) (75/324/EEC) is one of the oldest EU legislations related to product safety. This Directive includes specific requirements related to pressure hazard and flammability as well as a general obligation to analyse all hazards which could apply to an aerosol dispenser product. Based on such analysis, the aerosol is designed, constructed and tested accordingly to fulfil the appropriate safety requirements concerning its use. The ADD has two objectives: 1. Guaranteeing that products within the scope of the ADD are safe for consumers / other users in respect of hazards related to pressure and where appropriate, flammability and inhalation. 2. Securing the free movement of aerosol dispensers throughout the EU. As such, Member States must allow the marketing on their territory of aerosol dispensers that comply with ADD. The ADD is a so-called "old approach" directive including very detailed technical requirements regarding labelling, manufacturing, and testing, etc. The Directive has never seen a complete revision, but several amendments were made over time. These modifications were of technical nature to accommodate changes in technology (e.g. allowing safely increasing the pressure in containers resulting in better performance of the aerosol dispenser products) or to ensure coherence with other legislation (e.g. related to the labelling requirements of the Regulation on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures, known also as the CLP Regulation).