In order to place a biocidal product on the market under the BPR Regulation, it must be authorised in each of the Member States where it is to be placed on the market (national authorisation) or throughout the European Union (EU authorisation).

Active substances must be approved before a biocidal product containing them is authorised. To this end, a review programme for active substances has been set up and is being evaluated by the Member States before they are approved by the European Commission and included in the List of Approved Active Substances.

However, active substances included in the review programme and biocidal products containing them may be placed on the market pending a final decision on approval if they have the relevant permits to be placed on the market in accordance with the regulations applicable in each country of the European Union.

Within the chemical sector, different solutions have been proposed to address the application for authorisation in the most affordable way. One of the most attractive options is the creation of consortia, in which the companies jointly prepare the documentation and share the testing costs, substantially reducing the economic outlay involved in submitting an application for individual authorisation.