This note is to inform those with an interest in the UK’s biocides regime about the latest position with the proposals for the Biocidal Products (Amendment) Regulations 2007 as set out in the Consultative Document CD 206 dated 17 March 2006.  Consultation closed on 9 June 2006.

The Consultative Document (CD) explained that we aimed to bring the amendments into force on 1 October 2006. As a result of comments arising from the consultation we will be delaying implementation and now aim to bring the new Regulations into force on 6 April 2007.

We are sure this will be welcome news for those who commented on the financial implications of the requirements relating to advertisements set out in paragraph 33 on page 11 of the CD, which reads:

Advertisements: reg.33

33. We need to activate the requirements in reg.33 relating to advertising now, that is, exclude them from the transitional derogation that otherwise would have allowed products already on the market before 14 May 2000 to continue being advertised in accordance with current legislation until they came under the control of the BPR. This will be achieved by the proposed reg.4(a), which amends reg.3(2) to exclude reg.33 from the derogation in sch.13.

In response to several questions about the scope of the requirements we can confirm that these provisions do not extend to product labelling or packaging, which are dealt with separately under regulations 30 and 31.

Further information will be published on the website when it becomes available.

UK CA - December 2006