Views are being sought on European proposals for a revised regime for regulating the placing on the market and use of biocides.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a 10-week consultation on the European Commission proposal, which will apply directly in the UK and will even eventually revise and replace the current Biocidal Products Directive (BPD) 98/8/EC.

Biocides include disinfectants, preservatives and pest control agents used to control harmful organisations such as bacteria, fungi and rodents.

The regulation will also result in the repeal of the Biocidal Products Regulations 2001 and the Biocidal Products Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001, which transpose the current BPD into UK law.

The new draft regulation proposes several important changes to the current approach to dealing with biocides, including extending the scope of the regime to cover treated articles and materials containing biocides; adopting a community authorisation scheme for certain types of products; requiring mandatory data-sharing of some animal testing data; reducing the burden of data collection requirements; and harmonising fee structures across member states.

Judith Hackitt, chair of HSE, said: “This is an important opportunity to improve a Europe-wide regulatory regime and we are consulting widely to ensure that workable regulations are brought forward, which reflect a common sense and proportionate approach to dealing with the risks posed by biocides.”

The consultation will close on October 5, 2009.