Adoption of guidance to assess the risks to bees from the use of biocides.
HSE has adopted in GB the ECHA guidance document titled: Guidance to assess the risks to bees from the use of biocides.
The new guidance proposes a tiered risk assessment approach to assess the risk to bees from specific product type 18 emission scenarios for products containing at least 1 active substance with an insecticidal mode of action. It applies to the evaluation of both biocidal products and active substances.
The 4 routes of exposure covered by the guidance are:
- application of manure/sludge from animal housing (for example from insecticide use in stables/manure storage systems)
- spraying on walls and foundations of buildings
- irrigation of private gardens with treated water (for example where rainwater barrels are treated to control mosquitoes and the water is subsequently used in private gardens)
- large scale spraying of trees, bushes or natural water bodies
The guidance was first published in the EU in February 2024 and covers an area where guidance did not previously exist.
An accompanying modelling tool to use alongside the guidance is also available.
The guidance applies to GB applications submitted to HSE after 1 February 2027. This guidance already applies to new Northern Ireland applications being submitted.
The adopted guidance is available on our website.
Stakeholders should note that biocides are in scope of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement currently being negotiated between the UK and the EU. Once negotiations on the SPS Agreement have concluded, HSE will communicate further on any implications the agreement has for the sector. It is noted that adoption of this guidance aligns GB with EU processes.
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