Safety checks should be tightened up for pest and germ control products and more approvals should be managed at EU level, said the Environment Committee on Tuesday. Treated products, such as sofas sprayed with fungicides, will now also be covered by the rules.

pest control

The proposed update to existing legislation covers a wide range of "biocides", but not those covered by other legislation, such as agricultural pesticides. The committee's second reading resolution was adopted almost unanimously with 57 votes in favour, 1 against and 2 abstentions, paving the way for discussions with Council ahead of a plenary vote.

"I welcome that MEPs back tough criteria so that the most harmful substances will not be used for pest control unless strictly necessary", said rapporteur Christa Klass (EPP, DE).

Cutting down on harmful substances

MEPs want to tighten up checks to ensure products do not pose a threat to non-target organisms, humans and the environment. The use of the most problematic substances, such as carcinogens, should not be allowed except where absolutely necessary, due to the absence of effective alternatives and the need to prevent a wider risk to health or the environment, said the committee.

Further attention should be paid to "endocrine disruptors" (affecting hormones), say MEPs, who ask the Commission to define better criteria for them by the end of 2013. The committee wants biocides to be regularly reviewed, suggesting approvals or renewals should be for a maximum of 10 years, and less for problematic substances.

More EU approvals

More products are to be assessed at EU level, so as to ensure a simpler and more consistent application process. The Environment Committee suggests that applications for products with new active substances could be submitted to the chemicals agency (ECHA) from 2013 and for other categories from 2017.

Itch-free sofas

Products treated with biocides are not covered by existing rules, which led to problems, such as rashes from imported sofas that had been sprayed with fungicide. MEPs want to ensure this loophole is closed and that all treated products are labelled in future.

Nanomaterials

Nanotechnology is an emerging area in biocides. To ensure that the use of tiny particles does not constitute a risk, MEPs want specific checks to be devised and carried out on products that contain nano-ingredients.