EU chemical legislation – Overkill or necessary precaution?

We will all be aware that chemical legislation within the European Union (EU) is some of the most stringent in the world. This is particularly so for plant protection and biocidal products which by their nature are intended to deliver a controlling effect on biological systems.

Taking the example of biocidal products, these contain a wide variety of active substances that are formulated to act upon organisms that are harmful to human or animal health or cause damage to natural or manufactured materials. The intended targets include microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria and fungi, higher organisms such as insects, and vertebrates such as rodents. Biocides may also have unintended effects and the substances they contain may pose a risk to humans, animals and the environment due to their intrinsic properties. Therefore, the use of biocides needs to be carefully considered, which is why they attract such a high level of scrutiny.