Brussels, 17/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - In Strasbourg on Wednesday 18 January, the European Parliament (EP) will debate the report by Christa Klass (EPP, Germany) on the review of rules on the marketing and use of biocidal products, in the light of public health, animal health and environmental interests. The plenary session vote on the provisional agreement negotiated with the EU Council will take place on Thursday.
The provisional agreement makes provision for the introduction of tougher checks, not only on anti-parasitic products (such as insecticides, disinfectants and repellents), but on all products treated with biocidal substances. It also plans to simplify the marketing authorisation process and to ban, in principle, the most controversial substances, such as carcinogenic agents (see EUROPE 10468). Once the agreement is formally adopted, the updating of the 1998 legislation (Directive 98/8/EC) will mean that treated products, such as furniture treated with fungicide, will fall within the scope of the new rules. Agricultural pesticides will continue to be governed by separate European legislation. (AN/transl.rt)