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HSE Biocides ebulletin

Issued: 18 January 2024

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.

New EU active substance approval decisions

Apply for product authorisation by the deadline to keep your products on the NI market

Following evaluation under the EU BPR, a decision has been taken to approve the following active substance/product type combinations. This will affect NI:

• Sulfur dioxide generated from sulfur by combustion (CAS n/a EC n/a) in product type 04
• Formic acid (CAS 64-18-6 EC 200-579-1) in product types 02, 03, 04 and 05

Action for biocidal product suppliers

If you supply biocidal products containing sulfur dioxide generated from sulfur by combustion in product type 04, you must apply for EU BPR product authorisation by 1 October 2024 to keep them on the NI market.

If you supply biocidal products containing formic acid in product types 02, 03, 04, and/or 05, you must apply for EU BPR product authorisation by 1 November 2024 to keep them on the NI market.

New products must not be supplied in NI until product authorisation is granted.

Find out more about applying for EU BPR product authorisation

Action for active substance suppliers

If you supply these active substances for use in biocidal products of the relevant product types, you may need to apply for technical equivalence.

If you haven’t demonstrated technical equivalence for your manufacturing source, EU BPR product authorisation cannot be granted for biocidal products containing your active substance.

New EU active substance non-approval decisions

Biocidal products must be phased off the NI market

Following evaluation under the EU BPR, a decision has been taken not to approve the following active substance/product type combination. This will affect NI:

• Silver zinc zeolite (CAS 130328-20-0 EC 603-404-0) in product type 04

Biocidal products containing this active substance in the relevant product type can no longer be:

• supplied in NI after 18 December 2024; or
• used in NI after 18 June 2025

You must manage your stocks of the affected products to ensure they are removed from the NI supply chain by 18 December 2024.

New treated articles containing this active substance in the relevant product type cannot enter the supply chain or be imported into NI after 15 June 2024. Treated articles that have entered NI supply chains before this date can continue to be supplied and used.

Find out more about treated articles.

Any affected NI product approvals under the Control of Pesticides Regulations (COPR) will be revoked in line with the above dates.

If you are aware of any disproportionate negative impacts that are likely to arise from the non-approval of the active substance/product type combination listed above, please contact us.