Biocide producers face costly new EC approval system
New EC-wide procedures for authorising a wide range of biocides and their active ingredients have been proposed by the European Commission.1 Although welcomed in principle by producers, the draft Directive would necessitate radical changes to the way that some categories of biocides, such as disinfectants, are currently regulated in the UK. The chemical industry's biggest concern is a proposal that a product could not be authorised if another equally effective product or pest control technique which is safer for man and the environment is already available.