France published a regulation in April 2022 that bans the use of mineral oil components in all printing inks in two steps. Printers supplying the French market must ensure that they comply. Toluene is not affected.

Toluene, which is used in particular as a solvent for printing ink in rotogravure printing, is not covered by the ban on the use of mineral oils, even though its physico-chemical properties may be similar to those of certain mineral oils. Partly to address this issue, Article 3 of the Decree of 13 April 2022 includes an additional possibility to check compliance with the thresholds after the ink has been applied to the packaging or printing medium. This is a flexibility granted to manufacturers or interested parties to demonstrate compliance of the packaging or printing, in particular when the volatility of certain substances may lead to a lower concentration after application to the medium.