Updates from the UK – Biocides

Updates from the UK – Biocides

New guidance available for accessing the Northern Ireland Biocide market

The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) website has been updated to outline changes to processes and explain how the EU Biocidal Products Regulations (EU BPR) regulations continue to apply in Northern Ireland.

If you wish to make biocidal products or treated articles available on the Northern Ireland market you must comply with the EU Biocidal Products Regulation (EU BPR).

If your business is in Great Britain (GB) you may also need to comply with GB legislation such as GB Prior Informed Consent (GB PIC) or specific customs and export rules.

Biocidal product authorisation

To hold an EU BPR product authorisation in Northern Ireland your business must be established in the EU (including Northern Ireland).

If you hold an existing product authorisation that was valid in the UK on the 31 December 2020, you need to ensure that you’re established in the EU for that authorisation to remain valid in NI.

You need to tell HSE that either:

• you’re established in the EU – as soon as possible
• you no longer want to hold an authorisation in NI

Product Application Forms

New combined Great Britain (GB) and Northern Ireland (NI) product application forms are now available on the HSE website

A single form now allows businesses to submit:

• a GB only application
• a NI only application or
• a joint GB and NI application

First indication of Brexit Impact

In an early indication of the divergence resulting from Brexit the  HSE has failed  to support almost a fifth of Echa’s risk assessment committee (RAC) Opinions on proposed mandatory EU CLP classifications published in 2019 and 2020  The move gives an early indication of the extent to which the UK could diverge from the EU on classification and labelling following Brexit.