Following an 8-week public consultation in early 2023, legislation has been laid in Parliament to enact changes to the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR) in Great Britain. The results of the consultation are available on the consultation page on HSE’s CRD Consultation Hub.
The proposed revisions cover Annexes II (information requirements for biocidal active substances) and III (information requirements for biocidal products) of the GB BPR, reflecting new technical and scientific progress, introducing new tests for endocrine disruptors as part of the legal requirements (as opposed to ad hoc bases), and changing requirements in relation to mutagenicity, reproductive toxicity, developmental neurotoxicity, and efficacy data.
The aims of the changes are to enable a reduction in animal testing, align with current guidance and OECD validated test methods, and keeping up with new developments and scientific progress. The proposed reduction in animal testing is not envisaged to reduce the quality of testing or safety of products due to the emergence of reliable non-animal-based testing.
The legislative text laid before Parliament can be found on the Legislation.GOV.UK website: “The Biocidal Products (Health and Safety) (Amendment and Transitional Provision etc.) Regulations 2024”.
Subject to successful completion of Parliamentary processes, these Regulations are due to come into force on 6 April 2024. The new data requirements will apply to application received 18 months after the legislation came into force (provisionally 6 October 2025), and will not be applied to existing applications.
For further information, see the related HSE Biocides eBulletin, or contact the HSE Biocides Policy team.
The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) have announced their intention to revoke Annex VIII to GB CLP using the powers granted under the Retained EU Law (REUL) Bill, following a conclusion that the costs to industry will outweigh the benefits.
