Article 3(3) decisions on scope

The GB Biocidal Products Regulation (GB BPR) covers a wide range of products which control harmful organisms in different ways. In most cases, it is clear to both HSE and the company involved that a product should, or should not, be regulated under GB BPR – whether the product is within the ‘scope’ of the regulations. Take the first steps to finding out if your product might be a biocide[67].

Sometimes there will be complex issues where having a specific decision on scope would help industry understand how the regulations apply to their kind of product. GB BPR provides a way for the Secretary of State (working with the Scottish and Welsh administrations) to issue a legal decision on such scope issues – these are commonly called ‘Article 3(3) Decisions’ as that is the relevant article in the legal text.

Existing EU Article 3(3) decisions that had been taken before the UK left the EU were carried over into GB law and continue to apply in GB.

Examples

Questions on scope can cover issues such as:

  • does a product only work mechanically or physically – products that have no chemical or biological activity are not within the scope of GB BPR, for example a ‘rat trap’ might well be out of scope, but a ‘rat poison’ will be in scope. That chemical or biological action does not need to be directly acting on the harmful organism. A product with a chemical or biological action that forms part of a chain that leads to the control of the organism can be in scope, even if the final direct action against the organism itself is physical.
  • is a product a ‘biocidal product' or a ‘treated article’ – some treated articles will be regulated as biocidal products because their main function or purpose is to control harmful organisms
  • whether a substance should be classed as a ‘nanomaterial’

Existing Article 3(3) decisions

The table below lists the Article 3(3) decisions that are valid in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) which have either been made by the Secretary of State since the UK left the EU, or that had been taken whilst the UK was part of the EU and were carried over as GB law.

Decision Link to details
Mosquitoes non-naturally infected with Wolbachia used for vector control purposes Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1623[68]
Use of paraffin oil for coating eggs to control the population size of nesting birds Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/1943[69]
Horse rug impregnated with permethrin used for controlling nuisance insects in the environment of the horse Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/903[70]
Propan-2-ol containing products used for hand disinfection Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/904[71]
Product consisting of dried lavender blossoms contained in a pad placed on the market to repel moths Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/678[72]
Anti-viral tissue impregnated with citric acid Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/1985[73]
Polydimethylsiloxane-based formulation placed on the market to control mosquitoes Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/655[74]
Bacterial cultures intended to reduce organic solids and to be placed on the market for that purpose Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/646[75]
Cationic polymeric binders with quaternary ammonium compounds incorporated in paints and coatings Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/411[76]

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. Technical equivalence of an active substancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/technical-equivalence.htm
  27. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/product-authorisation-overview.htm
  28. National authorisationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/national-authorisation.htm
  29. Simplified authorisationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/simplified-product-authorisation.htm
  30. Same biocidal product authorisationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/same-biocidal-product.htm
  31. Change or cancel a biocidal product authorisationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/change/index.htm
  32. Renew an existing product authorisationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/renew.htm
  33. Research and developmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/research.htm
  34. Essential use authorisationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/essential-use-authorisation.htm
  35. Critical situation permitshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/critical-situation-permits.htm
  36. Food and feed derogationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/derogation.htm
  37. Unfettered access notificationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/unfettered-access-notification.htm
  38. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/uk-authorised-biocidal-products.htm
  39. Advertisement requirementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/advertisement-requirements.htm
  40. Packaging and labelling requirementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/packaging-labelling-requirements.htm
  41. Record keepinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/recording-keeping-reporting.htm
  42. Informing NPIShttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/informing-npis.htm
  43. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/data-protection.htm
  44. Access to documents: Biocidal active substances and productshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/access-to-documents.htm
  45. Data sharing in GBhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/data-sharing.htm
  46. Vertebrate testinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/vertebrate-testing.htm
  47. GB BPR feeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/fees.htm
  48. Biocides regulationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/regulations.htm
  49. Northern Irelandhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/northern-ireland.htm
  50. Existing products: Transfer to GB BPRhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/transfer-from-uk-national-law.htm
  51. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/index.htm
  52. COPR approval: how to applyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/application.htm
  53. COPR product approval typeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/approvals.htm
  54. COPR approved productshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/approved.htm
  55. COPR feeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/fees.htm
  56. COPR labellinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/labelguidance.htm
  57. Conditions of approvalhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/conditions.htm
  58. Open invitations and notificationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/open-invitations-notifications.htm
  59. Consultations and surveyshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/consultations.htm
  60. Consultations: Submitting informationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/consultations-submitting.htm
  61. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/information.htm
  62. Glossaryhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/glossary.htm
  63. Useful linkshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/links.htm
  64. Contacthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/contact.htm
  65. Service standardshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/servicestandards.htm
  66. Temporary changes to GB biocides application processing timeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/temporary-changes-application-processing-time.htm
  67. Take the first steps to finding out if your product might be a biocidehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/regulated/index.htm
  68. Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1623https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2018/1623/introduction
  69. Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/1943https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2016/1943/introduction
  70. Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/903https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2016/903/introduction
  71. Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/904https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2016/904/introduction
  72. Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/678https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2016/678/introduction
  73. Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/1985https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2015/1985/introduction
  74. Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/655https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2015/655/introduction
  75. Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/646https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2015/646/introduction
  76. Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/411https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2015/411/introduction

Glossary of abbreviations/acronyms on this page

COPR
Control of Pesticides Regulations

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Updated 2025-03-12