Aug. 30 EU: New Biocidal Products Regulation enters into operation on 1 September 2013

This notice is brought to you by the ECHA.

 

 

From 1 September onwards, industry can apply for the approval of an active biocidal substance as well as authorisation for a biocidal product containing an approved active substance through ECHA.

 

The regulation introduces new ways to authorise the biocidal products. In addition to applying for authorisation in a single Member State, companies can apply for authorisation in several Member States simultaneously or for an EU-wide authorisation. The authorisation process is simplified for certain types of biocidal products.

 

One aim of the regulation is to avoid unnecessary testing on animals. Therefore, before carrying out any tests on animals, companies need to send an inquiry to ECHA to find out whether the same test or study has already been conducted and submitted under EU biocides legislation. If such information exists, companies are required to share the data. The regulation also ensures that the costs of the assessment of active biocidal substances are equally shared by applicants. Consequently, active substance manufacturers and importers that were not involved in the review programme or in the original application of an approved active substance, but have nevertheless placed that active substance on the market, will have to contribute to the costs. ECHA will maintain a list of suppliers of the active substances which have contributed to the costs of assessment and only biocidal products which contain active substances from suppliers on that list will be legally entitled to remain on the market from 1 September 2015. The list of recognised suppliers will be available on ECHA’s website.

 

 

For more information and the full notice please refer to the ECHA link above.