Selektope antifouling receives EU approval

The agent, which temporarily triggers a pharmacological reaction in barnacle larvae to repel them from hull surfaces, will be available in the EU as of 1 July 2016 after receiving the clearance under the Biocidal Products Directive. Selektope has already received regulatory approval in Japan, Korea and China and is currently under evaluation in the USA.

“We are very pleased to receive the final confirmation that Selektope complies with the demanding EU legislation for biocides,” said Cecilia Ohlauson, regulatory affairs manager for I-Tech. “It has been a long process so we are very eager to take the next step towards having Selektope-containing antifouling products on the European market.”

Philip Chaabane, CEO of I-Tech, added: “The approval, under one of the world’s most rigorous environmental standards, is a huge achievement and represents an important milestone for our company. We are particularly proud that we can now serve our customers in all key markets of the commercial shipping community as well as the important yachting market in the EU.”

Selektope’s pharmacological action is said to enable it to be efficient at very low concentrations.