Highlights from November BPC meeting

ECHA’s Biocidal Products Committee (BPC) adopted three opinions on Union authorisations.

Helsinki, 29 November 2023 – The BPC, in its November meeting, adopted the following opinions on Union authorisations by consensus:

• biocidal product containing propan-1-ol and propan-2-ol for product-type 1 (human hygiene);
• biocidal product containing propan-2-ol for product-type 2 (disinfectants and algaecides not intended for humans or animals); and
• biocidal product family containing active chlorine released from calcium hypochlorite for product-type 2.

The evaluating competent authority and rapporteur for all three applications for Union authorisation is the Netherlands.

In addition, the committee adopted by consensus the following three opinions on requests from the European Commission:

• Opinion under Article 38 of the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR) on an unresolved objection during the mutual recognition procedure for a product-type 18 biocidal product (insecticides, acaricides and products to control other arthropods). The rapporteur for this opinion is ECHA.
• Opinion under under Article 75(1)(g) of BPR on the evaluation of availability and suitability of alternatives to RP 1:1 (product-types 2, 6, 11, 13) and RP 3:2 (product-types 2, 6, 11, 12, 13). Based on the available information, no active substances on the market have been identified as suitable alternatives. The rapporteur for this opinion is Austria.
• Opinion under Article 75(1)(g) of BPR on the ‘Methodology to assess the risk to bees and other non-target arthropod pollinators from the use of biocides’ as presented in ECHA’s draft guidance. The rapporteur for this opinion is ECHA.
  
  The guidance was developed by considering the approach used by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to assess risks from plant protection products. The final ECHA guidance is expected to be published in Q1 of 2024.
  
  Due to existing knowledge gaps for other non-target arthropod pollinators (so called ‘non-bee pollinators’), further research has to be performed to be able to develop a risk assessment methodology. B

BPC’s opinion on approving bronopol for product-types 2, 11 (preservatives for liquid-cooling and processing systems) and 12 (slimicides) was postponed. Discussions on this will continue during an additional online meeting on 12 December 2023.

The European Commission together with the EU Member States will take the final decisions based on BPC’s opinions.

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The committee met from 21 to 23 November 2023. The adopted opinions will be available on ECHA’s website in the near future. The next meeting will take place on 26, 27 and 29 February 2024.

Listen to the highlights of the meeting in our podcast, where the committee Chair Joost van Galen shares his reflections.