Main Conference Day 2Wednesday, 7 October 2026

The development and launch of sustainable biocidal products affords in-depth knowledge both from the marketing, regulatory and technical point of view. These fields of expertis need to work very closely together to warrant the successful authorization and placing of these future promising products onto the EU market.

However, the constantly and ever changing regulatory scene in the biocides area represents big hurdles and causes further challenges for SME applicants when planning and implementing biocidal product authorizations according to the BPR.

Additional regulatory and/or technical requirements are to be fulfilled even at an already advanced evaluation stage of biocidal product applications having been submitted well before the adoption of such requirements. This additional unforeseeable regulatory burden causes further delays in evaluation procedures thereby creating uncertainties and rendering the product authorization timelines even more unpredictable which may have a negative impact on the competiveness of applicants.

Moreoever, the unknown outcome of active substance (re-)approvals and the associated uncertainties in active substance availability constitute further challenges for prospective applicants. This requires constant adjustment of biocidal product authorization strategies as well as a re-considerations of the original market needs with a focus on the intended uses and life cycle of potential sustainable biocidal products.

• Hazard-Driven Regulation Risks Losing Beneficial Biocides: BPR's hazard-based exclusion criteria overlook real-world risk assessment and exposure scenarios, threatening to eliminate substances with significant environmental and safety benefits.

• Quantifying Climate Benefits Ignored by Regulators: Marine antifouling biocides like Selektope® deliver measurable carbon emission reductions through improved fuel efficiency—environmental contributions systematically excluded from EU regulatory decision-making despite alignment with climate goals.

• Industry challenges navigating complex approval processes under CLP

• Managing transitions to safer alternatives whilst maintaining product efficacy

• The cascading compliance implications of new hazard classifications

• Ethical and scientific imperative: The Commission roadmap to phase out animal testing reflects both animal welfare concerns and recognises that in vitro methods and predictive modelling may provide better human-relevant data

• OECD guideline developments and validation studies demonstrate technical feasibility.

• Opportunities exist for companies that develop and validate New Approach Methodologies ahead of regulatory requirements.