EU legislators back new biocides regulation and nano definition

摘要

An EU authorization system for biocides came one step closer last week as Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) approved a new regulation following a compromise agreement struck with the European Council. The council must also now clear the regulation before it can become law, but that is a formality since the Committee of Member States' Permanent Representatives (COREPER) has already given it the go-ahead. Speaking at a press conference the day before the Jan. 20 vote, the German center right MEP who steered the proposal through the European Parliament, Christa Klass, said council approval and adoption was expected in mid-2012, allowing the regulation to take effect starting Sept. 1, 2013.