The Commission is proposing that the substances, referred to as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction, be banned from sale to consumers from 1 April.

But Paul Keymolen, assistant secretary general of the European Council of Paint, Printing Inks and Artists Colours Industry (CEPE), said: We were surprised by the statement as printing inks are not sold to the general public, they are sold to the trade.

Keymolen said the substances in question had all been classified some time ago, with virtually all printing ink manufacturers excluding them from use in their raw materials.

A spokeswoman for the European Commission agreed that most producers had stopped using the substances, but said the declaration brought EU legislation up to date.