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HSE Biocides ebulletin

Issued: 28 February 2023

This ebulletin contains information on regulating biocides in Northern Ireland (NI). 

The EU Biocidal Products Regulation (EU BPR) operates independently from the GB Biocidal Products Regulation (GB BPR), which applies in Great Britain.

Separate ebulletins containing information specific to regulating biocides in Great Britain are issued as appropriate.

Reminder - upcoming EU active substance renewal submission deadlines

Apply for active substance renewal by the deadlines to keep products on the NI market

Under the EU BPR, active substance approvals will expire unless a renewal application is submitted at least 550 days before their expiry date.

The 550-day deadlines are coming up for the following active substance/product type combinations under EU BPR. This affects NI:

• Acrylaldehyde (Acrolein) (CAS 107-02-8 EC 203-453-4) in product type 12
  28 August 2023
  
  
• 3-phenoxybenzyl(1R,3R)-2,2-dimethyl-3-(2-methylprop-1- enyl)cyclopropanecarboxylate (1R-trans-Phenothrin) (CAS 26046-85-5 EC 247-431-2) in product type 18
  28 February 2024
  
  
• bis(N-cyclohexyl-diazenium-dioxy)-copper (Cu-HDO) (CAS 312600-89-8 EC n/a) in product type 8
  28 February 2024
  
  
• Iodine (CAS 7553-56-2 EC 231-442-4) in product types 1, 3, 4 and 22
  28 February 2024
  
  
• Isopropyl-(2E,4E,7S)-11-methoxy-3,7,11-trimethyl-2,4-dodeca-dienoate (S-methoprene) (CAS 65733-16-6 EC n/a) in product type 18
  28 February 2024
  
  
• n-Decanoic acid (Decanoic acid) (CAS 334-48-5 EC 206-376-4) in product types 4, 18 and 19
  28 February 2024
  
  
• n-Octanoic acid (Octanoic acid) (CAS 124-07-2 EC 204-677-5) in product types 4 and 18
  28 February 2024
  
  
• Polyvinylpyrrolidone iodine (CAS 25655-41-8 EC n/a) in product types 1, 3 and 22
  28 February 2024

Any person, company or taskforce/consortium can support an active substance/product type combination for renewal – it doesn’t have to be the original supporter.

Check the EU Article 95 List to see who the original supporters were.

If a renewal application is not submitted for the above active substance/product type combinations under EU BPR, the approvals will expire. This means the active substances can no longer be used in biocidal products of the relevant product types in NI.

EU public consultation – potential candidate for substitution

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is consulting on the availability of substitutes and alternatives to 2,2-dibromo-2-cyanoacetamide (DBNPA).

The EU BPR applies in NI. Under EU BPR active substances will be considered candidates for substitution if they meet the substitution criteria set out in Article 10 (1).

This means that the supply and use of biocidal products containing candidates for substitution must be prohibited or restricted under EU BPR, unless it can be shown that:

• for the uses specified for that product, there are no other authorised biocidal products or existing non-chemical control or prevention methods that:
  • present a significantly lower overall risk for human health, animal health and the environment;
  • are sufficiently effective; and
  • present no other significant economic or practical disadvantages; and
    
    
• the chemical diversity of the available active substances is not adequate to minimise the occurrence of resistance in the target harmful organism.

The following active substance has been identified as a potential candidate for substitution under EU BPR and ECHA has launched a public consultation to collect information on the availability of substitutes and alternatives, running until the stated date:

• 2,2-dibromo-2-cyanoacetamide (DBNPA) (CAS 233-539-7 EC 10222-01-2) in product type 6
  25 March 2023

Comments should be submitted to ECHA (not HSE) using the dedicated webforms at the link above.

Please note this consultation and its outcome are not applicable under the GB BPR.