The European Association of Chemical Distributors (FECC) has joined a European cross-industry alliance to ensure faster access to biocides during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

At the instigation of the International Association for Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance Products (AISE), FECC and European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC) sector group the European Biocidal Products Forum are collaborating to provide the industry with quicker access to relevant information so that authorities, medical facilities and the general public all have enough disinfectants to tackle Covid-19.

Consequently, the alliance has issued guidance to assist companies in complying with obligations under Europe’s Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR) and equivalent national biocides laws. The guide was developed with voluntary contributions from the Consultancy for Environmental & Human Toxicology and Risk Assessment (CEHTRA), and law firms Fieldfisher and Steptoe & Johnson.

The bulk of the guide lays out the main procedures for fast-tracking the availability of disinfectants, while two appendices provide an overview of national laws and all the active substances either approved or under review in the EU.