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Control of Pesticides Regulations (COPR)

The Control of Pesticides Regulations (COPR) is one of the laws that controls biocides in Great Britain (GB) and Northern Ireland (NI) to make sure that when they are used properly, they do not harm people, pets or the wider environment. COPR is an older law that only applies to some types of biocidal products. The other newer laws that control biocides are:

  • in GB, the GB Biocidal Products Regulation (GB BPR)
  • in NI, the EU Biocidal Products Regulation (EU BPR),

Those laws apply to a wider range of biocidal products so to help companies with the change, some products can continue to be regulated under COPR while the active substance is still being evaluated under GB or EU BPR.

Eventually, COPR will become redundant and all relevant biocidal products (those in the scope of COPR and those that are not in the scope of COPR) will have moved over to be regulated under GB or EU BPR.

COPR product types

Products that are in the scope of COPR and therefore need approval usually fit into the product types in the following table. Please note there may be other product types covered by COPR but, to date, no products have been approved for those uses.

Product type Description
Antifouling products Products applied to the hulls of boats and ships, oilrigs, fishnets, fish farming equipment and other man-made structures.

Used to prevent the growth of algae, seaweed, mussels and barnacles.
Aquatic algaecides Products used for the control of algae and blanket weed in ponds and lakes (including home garden/ornamental), for non-plant protection purposes only.
Aquatic molluscicides Products used for the control of slugs and snails in ponds and lakes (including home garden/ornamental), for non-plant protection purposes only.
Avicides / Bird stupefying baits Products used for the control of nuisance/pest birds.
Biocidal paints Products painted onto internal surfaces such as ceilings and walls to prevent growth of fungi, mould and algae.
Insect repellents Products used to repel biting and stinging insect pests, (such as mosquitoes, gnats, wasps and fleas), nuisance flying insects (such as midges) and other arthropods that are unwanted in the home (such as spiders).

Includes products that are applied directly to animals but not those that are applied directly to human skin.
Insecticides Products used for the control of insects and arthropods, which are either a public health concern (such as cockroaches) or a nuisance (such as ants).
Surface biocide Products used to remove or prevent undesirable growth such as lichen, mould or mildew on external and internal surfaces. Does not include disinfectants.

They are applied to masonry, brickwork, tiles, wood (not including wood preservation or protection) and so on.
Vertebrate repellents Products used to repel vertebrates such as cats and dogs from fouling in and around domestic gardens.
Wood preservatives Products used to protect wood from wood-destroying or wood-disfiguring insects and fungi.

Biocidal products that fit into the product types in the table require COPR approval[69] from HSE before they can be advertised, sold, supplied, stored or used in the UK. These types of products will continue to be regulated and approved through HSE under COPR until a decision is made on whether to approve the active substance under GB or EU BPR. If the active substance is approved the product will then require authorisation under GB or EU BPR[70]

Borderlines with other law

Moss

The control of moss is regulated under the GB and EU Plant Protection Products Regulations (GB PPPR and EU PPPR). Therefore claims against moss cannot be accepted under COPR and any products making claims against moss will also need to be authorised under GB or EU PPPR[71].

Link URLs in this page

  1. Biocideshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/index.htm
  2. Biocides: Introductionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/introduction.htm
  3. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/regulated/index.htm
  4. Biocides: active substance statushttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/checking/index.htm
  5. Importing and exportinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/importing.htm
  6. Certificates of Free Sale and Export Statementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/certificates-of-freesale.htm
  7. Treated articleshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/treated-articles.htm
  8. Monitoring trapshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/monitoring-traps.htm
  9. Article 3(3) decisions on scopehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/decisions-on-scope.htm
  10. In situ generationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/in-situ-generation.htm
  11. Get product on UK markethttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/market.htm
  12. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/using.htm
  13. Honey beeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/honey-bees.htm
  14. Rodenticideshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/rodenticides.htm
  15. Reporting exposurehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/reporting.htm
  16. Biocides enforcementhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/enforcement.htm
  17. Authorities and activitieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/enforcement-authorities.htm
  18. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/active-substance-approval.htm
  19. UK Review Programmehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/review-regulation.htm
  20. Active substances: How to applyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/how-to-apply.htm
  21. Simplified active substanceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/simplified-actives.htm
  22. The GB List of Active Substanceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/uk-list-active-substances.htm
  23. GB Article 95: The basicshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/uk-article-95-basics.htm
  24. GB Article 95: How to applyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/uk-article-95-how-to-apply.htm
  25. The GB Article 95 Listhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/uk-article-95-list.htm
  26. Planned removal of entries from GB Article 95 Listhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/article-95-removal.htm
  27. Entries due for removal from the GB Article 95 Listhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/uk-article-95-removal-list.htm
  28. Technical equivalence of an active substancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/technical-equivalence.htm
  29. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/product-authorisation-overview.htm
  30. National authorisationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/national-authorisation.htm
  31. Simplified authorisationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/simplified-product-authorisation.htm
  32. Same biocidal product authorisationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/same-biocidal-product.htm
  33. Change or cancel a biocidal product authorisationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/change/index.htm
  34. Renew an existing product authorisationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/renew.htm
  35. Research and developmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/research.htm
  36. Essential use authorisationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/essential-use-authorisation.htm
  37. Critical situation permitshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/critical-situation-permits.htm
  38. Food and feed derogationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/derogation.htm
  39. Unfettered access notificationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/unfettered-access-notification.htm
  40. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/uk-authorised-biocidal-products.htm
  41. Advertisement requirementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/advertisement-requirements.htm
  42. Packaging and labelling requirementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/packaging-labelling-requirements.htm
  43. Record keepinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/recording-keeping-reporting.htm
  44. Informing NPIShttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/informing-npis.htm
  45. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/data-protection.htm
  46. Access to documents: Biocidal active substances and productshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/access-to-documents.htm
  47. Data sharing in GBhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/data-sharing.htm
  48. Vertebrate testinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/vertebrate-testing.htm
  49. GB BPR feeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/fees.htm
  50. Biocides regulationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/regulations.htm
  51. Northern Irelandhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/northern-ireland.htm
  52. Existing products: Transfer to GB BPRhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/transfer-from-uk-national-law.htm
  53. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/index.htm
  54. COPR approval: how to applyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/application.htm
  55. COPR product approval typeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/approvals.htm
  56. COPR approved productshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/approved.htm
  57. COPR feeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/fees.htm
  58. COPR labellinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/labelguidance.htm
  59. Conditions of approvalhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/conditions.htm
  60. Open invitations and notificationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/open-invitations-notifications.htm
  61. Consultations and surveyshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/consultations.htm
  62. Consultations: Submitting informationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/consultations-submitting.htm
  63. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/information.htm
  64. Glossaryhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/glossary.htm
  65. Useful linkshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/links.htm
  66. Contacthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/contact.htm
  67. Service standardshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/servicestandards.htm
  68. Temporary changes to GB biocides application processing timeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/temporary-changes-application-processing-time.htm
  69. COPR approvalhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/application.htm
  70. authorisation under GB or EU BPRhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/transfer-from-uk-national-law.htm
  71. authorised under GB or EU PPPRhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pesticides/index.htm

Glossary of abbreviations/acronyms on this page

COPR
Control of Pesticides Regulations

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Updated 2023-10-24