Current BPC Activities
Kerona Scientific held their third Biocide Symposium on the 28th and 29th of March 2023. The Symposium centred on several key aspects related to the registration of products and active substances under the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR, Regulation (EU) 528/2012).
Erik van de Plassche, Chair of the Biocidal Products Committee (BPC), Directorate Risk Management at ECHA, Finland, presented slides on the recent achievements and activities of the BPC.
Erik started the presentation with a brief summary of the recent activities and developments within the BPC, which included the reintroduction of in-person meetings in 2022. He gave a synopsis of the number of opinions delivered by the committee such as union authorisations, active substance approvals, Art 38 and Art 75(1)(g). Trends show a reduced number of opinions for 2023. Erik then proceeded to explain the achievements of the BPC in 2022, which included a list of active substance approvals and non-approvals, and the reason why some of these substances were not approved. A total of 24 union authorisation applications consisting of disinfectants and preservatives (product types 6, 8, 11, 12 and 13), were also evaluated by the BPC in 2022.
Erik continued the presentation by describing several scenarios where the European Commission or Member States have requested that the BPC deliver an opinion on any given topic. Examples of topics include the endocrine disruption (ED) properties of an active substance, analysis of alternative substances (candidates for substitution and exclusion criteria) and the comparative assessment of AVK rodenticides. He discusses in more detail the methodology of comparative assessment and chemical and non-chemical alternatives to the substance discussed.
Finally, Erik outlined future developments and topics to be discussed within the BPC such as major and minor changes to union authorisations, the consideration of the One Substance One Assessment (1S1A) initiative and an increase in submissions from Member States ahead of the review programme deadline.
Erik ended his presentation by sharing the news of his retirement from the BPC in June 2023. We wish him the very best for the future.
If you missed the Biocides Symposium, a copy of the presentations is available on the publications section of the Kerona website at the link https://kerona.ie/product/dublin-biocides-symposium-2021-speakers-presentations/
If you need assistance with the registration of biocidal products in the EU, please do not hesitate to contact the biocidal products regulatory team at Kerona info@kerona.ie