On Wednesday 4 March, the Committee of Member States’ Representatives to the EU (Coreper) approved the EU Council’s position on the proposal to extend certain data protection periods for biocides. This proposal is part of the legislative package to simplify the rules in the field of food safety (see EUROPE 13774/15).
For Marilena Raouna, Deputy Minister for European Affairs in Cyprus, “By extending certain data protection periods, the measure ensures fair treatment of companies and maintains fair competition in the internal market. We look forward to a swift agreement with the European Parliament in view of the upcoming full evaluation of EU rules on biocides”.
The regulation on biocidal products aims to improve the functioning of the biocidal products market in the EU. Biocidal products are used to protect humans, animals, materials or articles against harmful organisms (pests or bacteria), by the action of the active substances contained in the biocidal product.
Due to delays in the review of existing active substances in biocidal products the protection period for data generated expired on 31 December 2025. To ensure fair compensation for data owners, the European Commission proposed to align the data protection period with the extended review programme until 31 December 2030. This extension is intended to balance the interests of stakeholders and ensure regulatory fairness, pending a full evaluation of the regulation in 2026-2027.
The Cyprus Presidency of the EU Council will begin negotiations with the European Parliament on this text. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)