 However, white phosphorus continued to be used, and its serious effects led many countries to ban its use.Finland prohibited the use of white phosphorus in 1872, followed by Denmark in 1874, France in 1897, Switzerland in 1898, and the Netherlands in 1901.An agreement, the "Berne Convention," was reached at Bern, Switzerland, in September 1906, which banned the use of white phosphorus in matches.