17 September 2025 - News release Highlights from September BPC meeting

ECHA/NR/25/30

ECHA's Biocidal Products Committee (BPC) adopted four opinions on active substances and six on Union authorisations.

Helsinki, 17 September 2025 - The BPC, in its September meeting, adopted the following opinions on active substances:

• Supporting the amendment of the inclusion of Carbon dioxide (CO₂) in Annex I of the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR). This inclusion in Annex I is restricted to: "Only for use in ready-for-use gas canisters functioning together with a trapping device."

  In addition, CO2 has been approved in the past for uses in product-types:

  • 4 - rodenticides, for the control of mice, rats or other rodents, by means other than repulsion or attraction;
  • 15 - avicides, for the control of birds, by means other than repulsion or attraction; and
  • 18 - insecticides, acaricides and products to control other arthropods, for the control of arthropods, e.g. insects, arachnids and crustaceans, by means other than repulsion or attraction.

The application sought to amend the restriction. In response, the BPC proposes the following wording:

"For product authorisations it shall be ensured that the exposure for professional users remains below the acceptable exposure concentration (AEC):

• 1.5% v/v carbon dioxide for the STEL (short-term exposure limit) 15 minutes, and
• 0.5% v/v carbon dioxide for the TWA (time-weighted average) 8 hour."

This newly formulated restriction would allow broader authorisation of products based on CO₂, while exposure limits will ensure that these products can be used safely. Products based on substances included in Annex I of the BPR can be authorised through the regular authorisation procedure as well as the simplified one.

• Not supporting approval of Poly(dimethyloctadecyl[3-(trihydroxysilyl)propyl]ammonium chloride) generated from di-methyloctadecyl[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ammonium chloride (DMOAP) for product-types:
  • 2 - disinfectants and algaecides not intended for direct application to humans or animals;
  • 7 - film preservatives; and
  • 9 - fibre, leather, rubber and polymerised materials preservatives.

The BPC proposes non-approval for all three product-types. In summary, validated analytical methods are not available for the precursor, the intermediate or the in-situ formed active substance of the in-situ generation system. As a result, the (eco)toxicological studies could not be performed or could not be used to perform the assessment. Therefore, no safe use could be established.

The committee adopted the following six opinions supporting Union authorisations for:

• a biocidal product containing Active chlorine generated from sodium chloride by electrolysis for product-types 2 and 4 (food and feed area);
• a biocidal product containing Alkyl (C12-16) dimethylbenzyl ammonium chloride (ADBAC/BKC (C12-16)); Glutaral (Glutaraldehyde) for product-types 3 (veterinary hygiene) and 4;
• a biocidal product containing Peracetic acid for product-type 2;
• a biocidal product family containing L-(+)-lactic acid for product-types 2 and 4;
• a biocidal product family containing Peracetic acid for product-types 2, 3 and 4; and
• a biocidal product family containing Glutaral (Glutaraldehyde) for product-types 6, 11 and 12.

The committee also adopted the following five opinions requested by the European Commission, arising from previously adopted BPC opinions:

• Draft BPC opinion on 'Questions on the risks of exposure of workers to corrosive particles during the use of biocidal products by coarse spraying' (four opinions); and
• Draft BPC opinion on 'Examination of alternatives to cholecalciferol and its possible use by the general public'.

More information about the committee's conclusions is available in the annex. The European Commission together with the EU Member States will take the final decisions based on BPC's opinions.

The committee met from 9 to 11 September 2025. The adopted opinions will be available on ECHA's website soon. The next meeting will take place from 24 to 28 November 2025.

Press contact: Hanna-Kaisa Torkkeli, [email protected], +358 50 416 8585