The aim of ETAD is to minimize possible negative effects on health and the environment arising from manufacture and use of synthetic organic colorants and to ensure information on the best practicable protection is provided to the purchasers of these products.

To achieve this goal and to promote the image of a responsible and safety minded manufacturing industry, it is necessary that in all aspects related to human and environmental safety, members be encouraged to adhere worldwide to a high ethical standard.

Therefore, at the proposal of the Board, the General Assembly of ETAD approves this Code of Ethics as a key policy of the Association. All ETAD member companies are obliged to comply with this Code of Ethics.

1.	Principles of responsible care ETAD members are committed to support a continuing effort to improve the industry’s responsible management of synthetic organic colorants. Members shall develop, produce and distribute products in a responsible manner which protects human health and the environment from unacceptable risks during manufacture, transport, use and disposal. Specifically, members shall implement a responsible care program in which the member undertakes to manage its business in accordance with the following principles: To recognise and respond to any community concerns about synthetic organic colorants and its manufacturing operations; To produce only synthetic organic colorants that can be manufactured, transported, used and disposed of safely; To make health, safety, employee training, quality assurance and environmental considerations a priority in planning for all products and processes; To provide employees, distributors and customers information on the health or environmental effects of synthetic organic colorants and recommend appropriate protective measures to ensure their safe use, transportation and disposal; To operate all facilities in a manner that protects the environment and the health and safety of employees and the public; To promote research on the health, safety and environmental effects of its products, processes and waste materials; To cooperate with public authorities in establishing well-founded environmental, safety and health regulations; and To promote these principles of responsible care to others who produce, handle, use, transport or dispose of synthetic organic colorants. The responsible care program shall fulfil, but not be limited to, the specific obligations described under paragraphs 2-5 below.
2.	Product Safety Policy It is the policy of ETAD members to take all reasonably practicable steps in order to ensure human and environmental safety in the use of the dyestuffs and organic pigments (synthetic organic colorants), manufactured or distributed by them. Members shall comply worldwide with all applicable laws and regulatory requirements dealing with the safety and the environmental impact of synthetic organic colorants. ETAD recognizes that the legal requirements for hazard communication differ considerably in various regions where organic colorants are marketed. A primary objective of this Code of Ethics is to ensure that such differences do not deprive customers in countries with less stringent requirements of hazard information which is made available to their counterparts in countries with more comprehensive regulations. To achieve a common high standard of hazard communication ETAD members shall fully inform all customers about all known significant hazards; adopt policies to assure an equivalent level of hazard communication worldwide concerning their product.
3.	Products Safety Information
3.1.	Safety Data Sheets Member companies shall ensure that for each of the synthetic organic colorants on their selling range, there is a safety data sheet with an appropriate information content and that it is supplied to all customers.
3.2.	Labelling The EU regulations provide an appropriate basis for classification and labelling of organic colorants. Where the laws of the country the products are sold to, require more stringent or mandate different labelling, the members shall adhere to such required or mandated labelling. In countries with less stringent requirements the labelling shall be in accordance with the EU system or an equivalent consistent with the policy of achieving a uniformly high standard of hazard communication.
3.3.	Education and Awareness Programs ETAD members shall endeavour to inform customers of the safe handling procedures best suited to the products involved.
4.	Cessation of manufacture and sale of certain hazardous colorants The manufacture and sale of certain dyes identified as hazardous by regulation or classification by expert bodies is incompatible with ETAD membership. These dyes are referred to in Annexes A and B.
5.	Compliance Member companies shall comply with the Code of Ethics and shall make every effort to ensure that their subsidiaries do so.

Azo dyes or preparations of azo dyes used in consumer applications, which contain, or release by reductive cleavage of azo bonds to any of the specified amines*.

* The corresponding amines and dyes are listed with the applicable limit values in "Guidance to ETAD Member Companies on the Implementation of the Code of Ethics" which is regularly updated to the current state of scientific knowledge.

Approved by ETAD General Assembly on May 19, 2006