Biocidal products for non-agricultural uses: common rules for national authorisations

Europe's first attempt at producing harmonized Union-wide legislation on biocides (the new name for non-agricultural pesticides) has just received the go-ahead in the Parliament/Council Conciliation Committee following an exchange of letters between the two parties. Agricultural pesticides are covered by other legislation. The directive establishes a system for the authorization of biocidal products. Industry sources suggest that there are currently around 10 000 biocidal products on the market. Under the principle of mutual recognition, if a biocidal product is authorized for sale in one Member State, it can also be sold in any other Member State - subject to certain environmental conditions. However, MEPs refused to give Council and Commission a blank cheque to create lists of approved biocides without parliament being involved. Council had wanted to leave Parliament without any say in the compilation of lists of biocides which are to be authorized. Parliament will now be involved in this process and so will be able to keep an eye on the legislation after it has been adopted. The text must now be formally approved by Council and the House. Member States will have 24 months in which to transpose the directive into national law. The EP's rapporteur was Kirsten JENSEN (PES, Dk). The conciliation committee was co-chaired by EP vice-president Josep VERDE I ALDEA (PES, Sp) and Mr Johny LAHURE, President of the Council and Luxembourg's Health and Environment Minister.