EU round up – ECHA releases full list of biocidal product authorisation applicants

A full list of all the companies thus far involved in assessments of biocides under the European Union’s (EU) biocidal product regulation has been released by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). The suppliers on this Article 95 list include participants in the EU’s review programme of existing biocides; companies requesting regulatory approval for new active substances; companies looking for authorisation for alternative active substances for biocidal products; and previously successful applicants. The list is split into various product categories including ethanol; formic acid; benzoic acid; salicyclic acid; hydrogen cyanide and many more. One key goal of the list is to promote transparency, with all biocidal product suppliers being treated fairly: "The underlying aim of the Article 95 list is to establish a level playing field on the market for active substances,” said an ECHA note.

From September 1, a biocidal product cannot be sold in the EU unless either the substance or product supplier is included in the Article 95 list. See – http://echa.europa.eu/ documents/10162/17287015/2014_active_substance_suppliers_en.pdf

Other EU regulatory news affecting the paints and coatings sector:

The Biocidal Products Committee (BPC) of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has approved four biocides as safe and appropriate for specific uses in the European Union (EU). Working under the new EU biocidal product regulation, the committee has backed the use of clothianidin, an insecticide; glutaraldehyde, used to disinfect hard surfaces in hospitals and industrial areas; N,N-Methylenebismorpholine, a bactericide; ad 2-methylisothiazol-3(2H)-one, a preservative. See http://echa.europa.eu/about-us/who-we-are/biocidal-products-committee

• ECHA has also published a practical guide on the biocidal products regulation (BPR) to help companies fulfil their obligations under the law. It explains these tasks, deadlines, information requirements, procedures, fees and the law’s expected results. http://echa.europa.eu/practical-guides/bpr-practical-guides

• Meanwhile, ECHA has selected its final additional 65 substances to be assessed for safety under its Community Rolling Action Plan (CoRAP) programme, including plastics ingredients. For instance, coatings ingredient phenol; tetrabromophthalimide, a fire retardant additive that is added to polymer mixtures to produce a blend and powder coating ingredient acetone oxime, will be examined.

The new substances will be assessed by EU member state chemical experts between 2015 and 2017.

For the full list of chemicals visit – http://echa.europa.eu/documents/10162/13628/corap_2015_2017_en.pdf

• ECHA has released documentation to help companies prepare for the next registration deadline under EU chemical control system REACH – May 31, 2018.
This concerns chemical substances manufactured or imported in low volumes, of between one to 100t/yr. Polymers are exempt from the process. See http://echa.europa.eu/reach-2018/