Biocidal products

Content:

A biocidal product is defined in the Biocidal Products Regulation as any product or substance which is intended to destroy, control or prevent the effects of harmful organisms, or in any other way control harmful organisms, other than by means of physical or mechanical devices.

Biocidal products are all those pesticides that are not intended to protect plants or plant products. The biocidal products that act in a chemically or biologically way fall in the scope of the biocidal legislation. It can for example be disinfectants, a mosquito repellent, wood preservatives, rodenticides or antifouling paint for boats. Biocidal products that, on the other hand, act in a physical or mechanical way do not fall in the scope of the regulation for biocides. A mechanical mousetrap is an example of such a product.

Go to rules for biocidal products

In the Pesticides Register, you can search for information on all biocidal products that are or have been authorised for use and made available on the market in Sweden. If the product is not in the register, it may be that it has never been authorised in Sweden.

Go to the Pesticides Register External link.

Biocidal products that have been granted a so-called Union authorisation are listed in the ECHA database of biocidal products.

Search the database on the ECHA website External link.

Importing, manufacturing or selling?

If you want to import or sell a biocidal product in Sweden, the product must be authorised by a competent authority in the EU. As a rule in Sweden, the product must be authorised by the Swedish Chemicals Agency, but certain exemptions apply. Use our application guide to apply for the authorisation of a biocidal product.

In Sweden, the Swedish Chemicals Agency authorises biocidal products according to the provisions in the Environmental Code, the Pesticides Ordinance and the EU Biocidal Products Regulation. Regulations on the labelling and handling of chemical pesticides are contained in the Agency´s Pesticides Regulations KIFS 2022:3.

Apart from the specific regulations that apply for biocidal products, other rules are also valid for biocides. At this webpage, we have gathered the requirements in different legislations External link. that might concern your product in parallel with the biocidal products regulations. (In Swedish) For example, companies manufacturing disinfectants must report to the Swedish Products Register. You can create an account and report your business activity to the Products Register via this webpage External link..

Contact us well in advance of the application

Regarding applications for new product authorisations where the Swedish Chemicals Agency is to evaluate the complete documentation, it is important that you contact us well in advance, preferably one year before you intend to submit such an application. This is important in order for us to be able to give you the support you need before applying, but also for us to be able to plan our work in a good way. Please note that for applications according to the EU Biocidal Products Regulation, all the active substances in the product must have an approval date for the relevant product type before the Swedish Chemicals Agency can process your request.

According to the Biocidal Products Regulation, you are obliged to consult with us prior to an application, if Sweden is to be the reference Member State. This is stated in Annex 3.2 of the EU Biocides Regulation. In order for us to receive the relevant information regarding your intended application, please fill out the form “Information on your intended application in Sweden” , 55.6 kB. and attach it to your request. We will contact you once we have reviewed the information.

If we reach an agreement that Sweden can act as the reference Member State, we will schedule a pre-submission meeting with you. Our intention is for this meeting to take place at least 6 months before you submit the application. During this meeting, we can discuss the process, data requirements, or other issues that are relevant to your application. Such a meeting is free of charge for applicant companies.

Contact us via kemi@kemi.se

Requirements on knowledge and documentation

An important part of the authorisation process is to ensure that sufficient knowledge exists about the risks connected with the product, in order to be able to evaluate any unacceptable risks during normal use of the product. Evaluating the risks may prevent or minimise any breach of acceptable levels. The effects of the products are also evaluated in the authorisation process.

If you want to sell or in another way transfer a biocidal product you have to prove that you have or a person in the distribution chain has access to documentation on the active substance in the product.

Last published 14 August 2023