Industries such as anti-fouling coatings approved by the European Commission for copper-based biocides will be affected.

The European Commission has approved the publication of implementing regulations (EU 2016/1089, 2016/1090, 2016/1088, 2016/1094) that will Copper cyanate, copper powder and copper metal are included in the list of active substances allowed to be used in biological products, of which the first three substances are classified as product type 21, which can be used as active substances of anti-fouling agent products, while copper metal is classified as product type 8, which can be used in biological killer products under the premise of meeting the relevant requirements. The first three regulations will come into effect on 1 January 2018 and the last on 1 January 2017.
according to the Chinese Chemical Society
Coatings
Coatings Committee, the European Parliament and Council Regulation (No. 528/2012) adopted in May 2012 requires the application of biocide products on the market Evaluation of products included in the list of biocides, including copper oxide, copper thiocyanate and copper powder, in 2062/2014, commissioned by the European Commission in 2014, with France responsible for the implementation of the specific assessment. According to a December 2015 opinion from the European Union Chemical Agency, the risk of recognizing these products as biologically killing active substances is "acceptable". In addition, France submitted an assessment of copper as an active substance in August 2013 and submitted its findings in April 2015, which were also endorsed by the European Union Chemical Agency at the end of 2015.
While the use of these products is recognized, the EU has also stressed in the relevant regulations that their use should be strictly regulated and that appropriate protective gloves should be provided when authorizing non-professional users and individuals to use these substances in their products. At the same time, it is suggested that attention should be paid to the effects on surface water and soil, as well as the requirements of the relevant labelling.
the EU's decision, Norwegian ship anti-fouling coating supplier Jotun said the shipping industry and environmental protection will benefit.
Copper as an active ingredient of anti-fouling agent can reduce the attachment, growth and diffusion of a variety of sea creatures in the hull, and this pollution of marine organisms will cause the frictional resistance of ships to increase, thus affecting the speed of navigation, reducing fuel efficiency and increasing pollution emissions.
According to Alfie Ong, vice president of
Ship Coatings
in Jotun, the EU decision is good news for anti-fouling coatings and ship owners because of the unique efficiency of copper-containing fungicides in the field of hull anti-fouling.
The traditional anti-fouling coating is mainly through the paint film anti-fouling agent, that is, the gradual seepage of toxic materials to prevent the defacement of marine life, before the organotin anti-fouling coating has been banned, and copper anti-fouling coatings also have some controversy. Some scholars believe that the release of toxics such as copper oxide will trigger a series of biological chain reactions, affecting the survival of marine life, and ultimately affect food safety.
Copper oxide has a good anti-fouling effect on marine momals and algae, and its anti-fouling agent is that copper ions have a high affinity with the main active ingredient in the main enzyme in the organism, which reduces the bioactive effect of the main enzyme, and turns the cell protein of the organism into a copper protein sediment, thus inhibiting the growth of the defaced organism.