Implementation dialogue on biocides with Commissioner Várhelyi

Summary conclusions

• participants broadly agreed on the need for a clearer, more stable and predictable framework
• companies highlighted long approval and authorisation timelines, high costs and complex procedures as major obstacles to innovation, especially delays in completing reviewing existing active substances
• stakeholders supported the Regulation’s safety goals for humans, animals and the environment, and noted it had improved harmonisation across the EU
• concerns were raised about frequent changes to technical guidance and inconsistent interpretation across Member States
• some suggested a more proportionate (tiered) approach to data requirements, greater use of non-animal, computational methods, stronger data protection and a bigger role for the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
• Commissioner Várhelyi said the feedback would inform the evaluation and that options on data protection could be considered in a future simplification package.

Additional information

• EU Biocidal Products
• Implementation Dialogues

Stakeholder participation

• List of participants