MCEC NEWSLETTER – JULY 2021

Dear Reader,

Last time you heard from us, a third wave of Covid outbreak was about to start, vaccination was slowly progressing across European countries and the microbial control industry had done a lot to ensure the availabilities of disinfectants for the protection of all. If 2020 had seen many policy projects of the European authorities delayed or postponed, it is fair to say that they delivered in this first half of the year.

First, we would like you to take note of the conclusions of the European Commission report on the implementation of the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR). Overall, the report highlights that the regulatory regime for biocides in Europe is not yet fully harmonised and that it hinders innovation in the sector. The Review Programme for biocides dossiers is still significantly delayed and the call of the industry for more regulatory consistency and predictability is as relevant as ever. More on that in our article below.

Secondly, in May, the European Commission unveiled the long-awaited roadmaps for the revision of two major pieces of legislation for chemicals: the EU legislation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) and the regulation for the Classification, Labelling and Packaging of Chemicals (CLP). These regulations are the two cornerstones of chemicals legislation in Europe and are often used as models in non-EU countries designing their own framework.

As you would expect in this time of great policy change, the MCEC contributed to the stakeholders’ consultations on the revision of these regulations, and a full article is available below which summarises our key comments and questions to authorities. As there is no question that such major legislative changes will impact microbial control, the MCEC is anxious to see that the impact is assessed now and not at the end of the decision-making process: the industry requires regulatory predictability to operate and innovate. For optimum regulatory change it is vital that sound and thorough processes of consultation and engagement are involved.

We are now moving to summer time and things may gradually slow down a bit, but the rest of the year will remain busy for MCEC: engagement with politicians on the essential elements of microbial control, the organisation of a workshop with academics and regulators and innovative communications including the revamp of the MCEC website… Stay connected to MCEC to hear more about our work in the coming months.

José Mosquera

MCEC President, Global Strategy and Growth Leader for IFF’s Microbial Control Business.

Want to explore microbial control benefits? More on our Website, Twitter or LinkedIn

MCEC sends input to Commission on the revision of chemical legislation

The first half of 2021 has been busy with several public consultations launched by the European Commission to collect input from relevant stakeholders on the main blocks of the chemical legislation. The consultations focused on revising parts of the existing regulatory framework – including the Regulation on Classification, Labelling and Packaging of substances and mixtures (CLP), the Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) – as well as introducing new ones – the Sustainable Products Initiative (SPI).

Despite having different scopes and targets, these three pieces of legislation are expected to bring fundamental changes in how the chemicals sector is regulated, with potential repercussions on the biocides sector and the co-formulants used in the manufacturing of several products.

MCEC provided their input to all three consultations, highlighting the aspects that will be of major interest for the biocides industry.

Eight years of the Biocidal Products Regulation under the microscope

The Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR) entered into application in September 2013, repealing the older Biocidal Products Directive (BPD). As required by Article 65(4) of the BPR, the Commission, based on reports submitted by Member States on the implementation of the BPR in their respective territories, was required to draw up a composite report for submission to the European Parliament and to the Council. MCEC analysed and identified the main highlights from the report which covers the period until the end of 2019.

Non-compliant hand sanitiser imports on the rise, Cefic report says

In June, Cefic published its 2020 report on the reported cases of non-compliant imported products to the EU via the EU’s Rapid Alert System. Last year, in context of the Covid-19 crisis, some of the highest non-compliant imported products were hand sanitisers. Together with Cefic, MCEC members urge market surveillance authorities to step up enforcement of the necessary controls for imported goods.

Contact

The Microbial Control Executive Council, or MCEC, is an initiative of the world’s leading companies developing and supplying microbial control technology and solutions. It was established in 2012 in order to promote the safe and effective use of microbial control technologies, and to create a reference point for stakeholders and the public alike to understand the benefits of microbial control technologies and the steps being taken to ensure the use of more sustainable biocides across all applications.

MCEC member companies, BASF, IFF, ICL, LANXESS, Lonza and Troy Corporation, are committed to the betterment of public health and wellbeing through the advancement of sustainable microbial control technologies.

To learn more, follow us on Twitter, visit our website and our LinkedIn page.

For more information, do not hesitate to contact us at info@microbial-control.com

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