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[68] 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[69]
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[70].