The Biocidal Products Directive (BPD) also known as the Biocides Directive is European Union Directive, (98/8/EC), which concerns

biocides A biocide is defined in the European legislation as a chemical substance or microorganism intended to destroy, deter, render harmless, or exert a controlling effect on any harmful organism. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses a sl ...

. It is officially known as 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."Directive 98/8/EC concerning the placing of biocidal products on the market"
European Parliament & Council, 16 February 1998. Retrieved 7 April 2015 In 2013 the Biocidal Products Directive was superseded by The Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR, Regulation (EU) 528/2012).

Definition

Biocide is defined in Article 2(1)(a) as "active substances and preparations containing one or more active substances, put up in the form in which they are supplied to the user, intended to destroy, deter, render harmless, prevent the action of, or otherwise exert a controlling effect on any harmful organism by chemical or biological means." A biocidal product is a substance intending to destroy, deter, render harmless, prevent the action of, or exert a controlling effect on any harmful organism by any means other than mere physical or mechanical action. These products are highly regulated because of health and performance concerns. They first have to be legally regulated, and all products or substances on the market also have to be tested and certified in order to ensure their

compliance Compliance can mean: Healthcare * Compliance (medicine), a patient's (or doctor's) adherence to a recommended course of treatment * Compliance (physiology), the tendency of a hollow organ to resist recoil toward its original dimensions (this is a ...

with current directives and regulations. The definition and the identification of the biocidal products, including their classifications, are crucial because they form the bases of the guidance documents and these also allow the systematic and easier association with the appropriate governing framework. For instance, those substances classified in the directive as cosmetics products immediately fall within the coverage of the Cosmetics Products Regulation 1223/2009.

EU biocides regulation

Biocidal products and active substances fall into four categories and twenty-three product-types that are all regulated by the EU under the Biocidal Products Directive. The substances have to be authorised before being used or sold on the EU market. Also, all treated products shall only contain authorised active substances. To be authorised, manufacturers or importers need to submit technical documentation on the products. The

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body ...

created and regularly updates the Biocidal Products Directive to ensure a high level of protection of human and animal health, as well as environmental protection. A proposal (COM(2009)267) was put forward to repeal and replace the Directive 98/8/EC and it was adopted on June 12, 2009, by the European Commission. This proposed measure builds on the principles of the older directive, with the aim of improving "the functioning of the internal market in biocidal products while maintaining a high level of environmental and human health protection."

Classification

The biocides are classified in Annex V: Main group 1:

Disinfectants A disinfectant is a chemical substance or compound used to inactivate or destroy microorganisms on inert surfaces. Disinfection does not necessarily kill all microorganisms, especially resistant bacterial spores; it is less effective than ...

and general biocidal products * Product-type 1: Human hygiene biocidal products * Product-type 2: Private area and public health area disinfectants and other biocidal products * Product-type 3: Veterinary hygiene biocidal products * Product-type 4: Food and feed area disinfectants * Product-type 5:

Drinking water Drinking water is water that is used in drink or food preparation; potable water is water that is safe to be used as drinking water. The amount of drinking water required to maintain good health varies, and depends on physical activity level, ...

disinfectants Main group 2:

Preservatives A preservative is a substance or a chemical that is added to products such as food products, beverages, pharmaceutical drugs, paints, biological samples, cosmetics, wood, and many other products to prevent decomposition by microbial growth or by ...

* Product-type 6: In-can preservatives * Product-type 7: Film preservatives * Product-type 8: Wood preservatives * Product-type 9: Fibre, leather, rubber and polymerised materials preservatives * Product-type 10: Masonry preservatives * Product-type 11: Preservatives for liquid-cooling and processing systems * Product-type 12: Slimicides * Product-type 13: Metalworking-fluid preservatives Main group 3: Pest control * Product-type 14: Rodenticides * Product-type 15:

Avicide An avicide is any substance (normally a chemical) used to kill birds. Commonly used avicides include strychnine (also used as rodenticide and predacide), DRC-1339 (3-chloro-4-methylaniline hydrochloride, Starlicide) and CPTH (3-chloro-p-toluid ...

s * Product-type 16: Molluscicides * Product-type 17: Piscicides * Product-type 18:

Insecticide Insecticides are substances used to kill insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against insect eggs and larvae, respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and by consumers. Insecticides are claimed t ...

s, acaricides and products to control other

arthropods Arthropods (, (gen. ποδός)) are invertebrate animals with an exoskeleton, a segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. Arthropods form the phylum Arthropoda. They are distinguished by their jointed limbs and cuticle made of chitin, ...

* Product-type 19: Repellents and attractants Main group 4: Other biocidal products * Product-type 20: Preservatives for food or

feedstock A raw material, also known as a feedstock, unprocessed material, or primary commodity, is a basic material that is used to produce goods, finished goods, energy, or intermediate materials that are feedstock for future finished products. As feeds ...

s * Product-type 21: Antifouling products * Product-type 22: Embalming and taxidermist fluids * Product-type 23: Control of other vertebrates

References

{{reflist

External links

"The Biocidal Products Regulations (BPR)"
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) European Union directives 1998 in law 1998 in the European Union