HEALTH AND SAFETY EXECUTIVE
E91:98 27 April 1998
NEW EUROPEAN RULES FOR BIOCIDES AGREED
Disinfectants, wood preservatives and pest control treatments are
among the products that will come under new European-wide rules which
were published on Friday (24 April 1998).
The UK now has 24 months in which to implement the Biocidal Products
Directive (98/8/EC), which aims to harmonise the European market for
biocidal products and provide a high level of protection for humans
and the environment.
The scope of the Directive is very wide and covers 23 product types.
These can be divided into four main groups:
disinfectants;
preservatives;
pest control; and
other biocidal products (covering preservatives for food and
feedstocks; antifouling products; embalming and taxidermist fluids;
and products to control vermin).
Products already regulated such as plant protection products,
medicines, veterinary medicines, cosmetics or food additives are
excluded.
Only biocidal products containing an active substance which has been
approved under the Directive will be authorised for use. However,
existing products within the scope of the Directive will be able to
stay on the market until the active substances they contain have been
reviewed under the new rules. The Directive gives 10 years for all
existing active substances to be reviewed.
Over that period, the European regime will progressively replace the
current UK national approval scheme for non-agricultural pesticides
under the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986.
Commenting on the new Directive, Christopher Bowden of HSE's Health
Directorate, said: "HSE has played a key role throughout the
negotiations, sharing experience of the UK's own well-established
non-agricultural pesticide approval procedures and helping to ensure
that the new rules are as streamlined as possible, consistent with
maintaining high safety standards."
The Biocidal Products Directive (BPD) was first proposed by the
European Commission in 1993. Like the Plant Protection Products
Directive (91/414/EEC), BPD will introduce a two stage process.
First, active substances will be evaluated for possible inclusion in
Annex I of the Directive on the basis of data supplied by industry.
Second, products containing Annex I listed substances can be
authorised by individual Member States.
Decisions on inclusion of active substances on the list will be taken
by Member States collectively at the European Union (EU) level. Once
a product has been authorised in one Member State it may, under
mutual recognition procedures, be marketed in other Member States.
There are simplified procedures for products posing a low-risk to
humans and the environment.
Mr Bowden added: "Any company likely to be affected by the Directive
should get in touch with HSE, if they have not already done so, to
make sure that they are kept informed as the Directive is implemented
and know when active substances are being reviewed. HSE will be
producing new Regulations to implement the Directive and a range of
guidance documents to explain the Directive and the Regulations.
Industry will be closely involved in preparing them and there will be
wide consultation on the full package of proposals early in 1999."
Notes to Editors
1. Directive 98/8/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council
concerning the placing of biocidal products on the market was
published in the Official Journal of the European Communities on 24
April 1998. It will come into force 20 days later.
2. A longer article on the Biocidal Products Directive is available
from HSE's Press Office.
3. For industry to register their interest in the Directive with HSE
they should contact:
Dr Alex Tsavalos
HD D4: Pesticide Registration Section
Health and Safety Executive
Magdalen House
Stanley Precinct
Bootle L20 3QZ e.mail: alexander.tsava...@hse.gov.uk
4. The table of Biocidal Products is available from HSE
PUBLIC ENQUIRIES:
write to: HSE Information Centre, Broad Lane, Sheffield, S3 7HQ.
http://www.open.gov.uk/hse/hsehome.htm
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