Jul. 31 – EU: European Biocide Product Directive causes industry headache

From ICIS.com:

In 1998, Directive 98/8/EC on the market placement of biocidal products was adopted, with the member states having to transpose the rules by May 14, 2000 into national law.

The aim of the BPD is to harmonize the market for biocidal products and their active substances, while providing a high level of protection for humans, animals and the environment…

However, following extension after extension of deadlines due to the immense work required to gain approvals, by the start of 2009, only a limited number of biocides had been approved.

The latest step in the regulatory saga is that on June 12, the European Commission adopted a proposal, COM(2009)267, for a regulation concerning the market placing and use of biocidal products. This proposed Regulation, which would enter into force on January 1, 2013, would extend the regulatory scope to include articles and materials treated with biocidal products, including furniture and textiles.

One key challenge in the entire process is the cost of the dossier preparation – estimated at up to €2m ($2.8m) – which has driven some organizations to join together to create task forces to generate the dossier and support the product.

For more information, click on the above link.

Relevant Nexreg Compliance Links: Nexreg, REACH Compliance, EU SDS Authoring.