Hazardous substances/EU biocides rules

"Given the potentially serious impacts of biocides for public health, we need to ensure stringent regulation of biocidal products. The Greens have pushed to ensure that the most harmful substances, including endocrine disrupters, are no longer used in biocides. Today's vote would ensure exceptions to this rule can only be given when there is a serious danger that cannot be controlled by any alternative safer means. It would simply be unacceptable to allow a hazardous substance when safer alternatives are available.

"Importantly, treated articles containing biocides will have to be labelled accordingly. Given the concerns with regard to the use of nanoparticles, it is also welcome that MEPs supported measures proposed by the Greens to oblige the labelling of products containing nanoparticles and to ensure nanosubstances are subject to separate scientific evaluation.

"Proposals to allowing member states to deviate from central authorisations and for mutual recognition in the context of national authorisations, represent an improvement on the original proposals."

(1) Second reading vote on the Klass report.