The European Parliament will vote tomorrow on the second reading agreement of the Regulation  concerning the placing on the market and use of biocidal products. Biocides are commonly applied in households, hospitals and various industries. They are used as additives, wood preserving products, insecticides and other products.
ALDE considers the future regulation as a positive development for maintaining a level of human health and environmental protection.

The Regulation contains the main procedural aspects for the authorization of products by :
• EU authorization (registering of low-risk biocidal products starting from 2013),
• extending the scope of regulation to cover biocides from outside the EU, previously uncontrolled and potentially hazardous,
• applying an efficient mechanism for mutual recognition of national authorizations,
• transitional period prior to the start of the regulation´s new scope from 2013,
• treated materials with biocidal products will be labeled (for which there is a claim), 
• controlling a serious danger to public or animal health from substances containing the hazardous ingredients,
• labeling of biocidal products containing nanomaterials.

MEP Corinne Lepage (CAP21, France) on behalf of the ALDE group commented:
"We fought hard to make sure that the new EU authorisation will be viable: The two step procedure should avoid a blackout of the system. We also obtained clear improvements, notably specific provisions on nanomaterials, clear information and new rights of consumers on treated goods, interim criteria for endocrine disrupters and a deadline for adoption of definitive criteria.

Nevertheless, I do regret that the price to pay for these improvements was to give up the European Parliament veto right for the approval of active substances", she added.