HSE have published their latest bulletins:
Classification Labelling and Packaging (CLP)
HSE public consultation: call for comments and relevant information (Deadline: 2 January 2024)
The Great Britain mandatory classification and labelling (GB MCL) process includes the consideration of information gathered from public consultations, conducted by HSE or international bodies such as the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).
HSE has published two public consultations on the following proposals for GB MCLs:
- Pigment Red 83 (EC: 200-782-5; CAS: 72-48-0). Chemical registered under REACH
View the details - Solvent Violet 13 (EC: 201-353-5; CAS: 81-48-1). Chemical registered under REACH
View the details
Scientific or technical information and/or wider policy and impact considerations should be submitted using the HSE commenting webform by 2 January 2024. Comments will be published on HSE’s website.
Anyone with relevant information is encouraged to share it with HSE. Relevant information includes scientific or technical information relating to the proposed classification, as well as information on the potential impacts of the classification (positive and negative).
If your business is affected by the GB CLP Regulation, please consider if you are likely to be affected by any of the classification and labelling proposals and submit information if you anticipate any significant impacts or benefits.
For further information on what to submit during the public consultation, please visit the GB MCL webpages on the HSE website. Under the GB CLP Regulation, HSE will consider all public consultation submissions before publishing Agency Technical Reports and Agency Opinions, so any information you provide will be important in any final GB MCL decision.
Biocides
Upcoming GB active substance dossier submission deadline. Take action to keep your active substance in the GB Review Programme
The active substance/product type combinations listed below have been successfully notified into the GB Review Programme following an open invitation. The next step is for a full active substance dossier to be submitted to HSE by the following deadline:
- Active chlorine generated from sodium chloride by electrolysis (CAS 7782-50-5 EC n/a) in product types 2, 3, 4, 5 and 11 (deadline: 17 April 2025)
Only the person, company or task force/consortium that successfully notified the active substance/product type combinations listed above can submit a dossier. If any of these active substance/product type combinations are important to you, consider contacting the notifier to let them know.
You may even be able to join them in supporting the active substance. Check the list of successful notifiers.
If a dossier is not submitted by the deadline, these active substance/product type combinations will be subject to a GB non-approval decision. Biocidal products containing active substances with GB non-approval decisions for the relevant product types will have to be removed from the GB market.
HSE will provide separate updates on these where relevant
EU active substance expiry dates postponed: Active substance expiry dates postponed whilst the renewal evaluation is completed in the EU
For reasons beyond the control of the applicants, the approvals of the active substance/product type combinations listed below were likely to expire before decisions could be taken on their renewal under the EU BPR.
To allow sufficient time for the renewal evaluations to be completed, decisions have been taken to postpone the expiry dates of the following approvals. This affects NI:
- Sulphuryl difluoride (sulfuryl fluoride) (CAS 2699-79-8 EC 220-281-5) in product types 8 and 18 (From 31 December 2023 to 31 December 2024)
- (R)-1,2-O-(2.2,2-Trichloroethylidene)-α-D-glucofuranose (alphachloralose) (CAS 15879-93-3 EC 240-016-7) in product type 14 (From 31 December 2023 to 30 June 2026)
- Copper (II) hydroxide (CAS 20427-59-2 EC 243-815-9) in product type 8 (From 31 January 2024 to 31 July 2026)
- Copper (II) carbonate copper (II) hydroxide (1:1) (basic copper carbonate) (CAS 12069-69-1 EC 235-113-6) in product type 8 (From 31 January 2024 to 31 July 2026)
- Copper (II) oxide (CAS 1317-38-0 EC 215-269-1) in product type 8 (From 31 January 2024 to 31 July 2026)
If you want to supply new biocidal products containing these active substances, you can still apply for EU BPR product authorisation. New products (including new trade names) must not be supplied in NI until product authorisation is granted.
HSE will provide separate updates on the renewal decisions when relevant
New EU active substance non-approval decision: Biocidal products must be phased off the NI market
Following evaluation under the EU BPR, a decision has been taken not to approve the following active substance/product type combination. This will affect NI:
- Silver sodium hydrogen zirconium phosphate (CAS 265647-11-8 EC 422-570-3) in product type 4
Biocidal products containing this active substance in the relevant product type can no longer be:
- supplied in NI after 15 October 2024; or
- used in NI after 15 April 2025
You must manage your stocks of the affected products to ensure they are removed from the NI supply chain by 15 October 2024.
New treated articles containing this active substance in the relevant product type cannot enter the supply chain or be imported into NI after 12 April 2024. Treated articles that have entered NI supply chains before this date can continue to be supplied and used. Find out more about treated articles
Any affected NI product approvals under the Control of Pesticides Regulations (COPR) will be revoked in line with the above dates.
If you are aware of any disproportionate negative impacts that are likely to arise from the non-approval of the active substance/product type combination listed above, please contact us
HSE e-bulletin
Live online workshop delivered by HSE: Dermal absorption and the EFSA 2017 guidance for plant protection and biocidal products (10 January 2024 – 11 January 2024)
This workshop will be delivered over two online sessions and will present and explain the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) 2017 guidance on dermal absorption, which replaced the previous EFSA guidance document (2012). It will address dermal absorption issues for both plant protection products and biocidal products.
Who should attend?
The workshop is aimed at technical and registration specialists involved in the design of dermal absorption studies and in the preparation and submission to CRD of plant protection and biocidal product applications for authorisation.
Topics covered
- overview of the 2017 guidance document
- critical aspects of dermal absorption studies and their interpretation
- key differences between the 2017 and 2012 guidance
- key information frequently absent from, or not clearly presented in, dermal absorption study reports and / or regulatory submissions
- worked examples highlighting critical areas of the 2017 guidance
- common problems found in dermal absorption evaluations
- application of the guidance to biocidal products
- special cases for biocidal products including antifouling products and anticoagulant rodenticides
Registration: Find out more and register for this fee paid workshop. The closing date for registration is 2 January 2024.
Calls for Information on Persistent Organic Pollutants
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) are inviting stakeholders to provide information regarding a number of proposed POPs ahead of a meeting of the POPs Review Committee (POPRC).
The UK is a party to the Stockholm Convention on POPs, which are substances that persist in the environment, accumulate in living organisms, pose a risk to our health and the environment, and have the potential for long range transport across international borders.
Additional information is requested for the following substances:
Chlorpyrifos
This is an insecticide which is no longer registered for use in the UK.
The requested information relates to socio-economic considerations to assist the drafting of a Risk Management Evaluation (as specified in Annex F of the Stockholm Convention).
Further details and information submission forms for chlorpyrifos can be found on GOV.UK.
Completed forms and/or queries should be directed to the Defra POPs team at POPs@defra.gov.uk (Deadline: 24 November 2023)
Medium chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs)
Industrial chemical. Newly recommended for listing as a POP under the Stockholm Convention.
In October 2023, POPRC agreed the Risk Management Evaluation for MCCPs, and decided to recommend to the Conference of Parties (COP) 2025, that it considers listing MCCPs for elimination (under Annex A of the Stockholm Convention) with specific exemptions for several applications.
The Committee have invited Parties and observers to provide information that would assist in the possible strengthening of the recommendations by the Committee.
Further details and information submission forms for MCCPs can be found on the POPRC call for information. (Deadline: 18 January 2024)
Long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids (LC-PFCAs)
Industrial chemical. Newly recommended for listing as a POP under the Stockholm Convention.
POPRC has agreed the Risk Management Evaluation of LC-PFCAs, their salts, and related compounds, and the substance is recommended to the COP 2025 to be listed for elimination (under Annex A of the Stockholm Convention).
The Committee have invited Parties and observers to provide information that would assist in the possible refining of recommended specific exemptions for production and use of LC-PFCAs.
Further details and information submission forms for LC-PFCAs can be found on the POPRC call for information. (Deadline: 18 January 2024)
