European legislation Biocidal Products Directive

The new Biocidal Products Directive is examined, which closes the gap in European legislation for products such as disinfectants and anti-foulants where there has not, until now, been a Europe-wide standard. The basic goals of the directive are to simplify and harmonise Europe s regulatory framework for biocides, and to remove trade barriers within the EU, and to improve the protection of both human health and the environment. The new directive must be enforced as national legislation in all member countries by 14 May 2000. Details are given of products defined within the directive, and ways in which the directive will be put into practice in the UK are discussed. The implications of the legislation on the industry in terms of time and money spent on testing for each active substance involved are examined. 

In recent years major developments in risk assessments of biocidal products have taken place within the European Union (EU) as a result of the implementation of the Biocidal Products Directive (BPD) 98/8/EC. This legislation will result in the highest level of testing substances and products of antimicrobial activity and will set the standard for product registration for all suppliers of biocides. Therefore, the risk assessment procedures described within the BPD technical notes for guidance will be discussed in the following sections and compared to other risk assessment procedures worldwide. 

Currently, European legislation on the BPD (Biocide Product Directive) is evaluating all biocide active ingredient chemistries used in plastic and other produets. See also Chapter 4.2. 

EC, 1998. Community legislation in force. Document 398L0008. Directive 98/8/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 1998 concerning the placing of biocidal products on the market. OJ No. L 123, 24/04/1998 pp. 0001-0063. Luxembourg Ofiice for Official Publications of the European Communities. 

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