Italy may authorise the sulfuryl fluoride fumigant Vikane until 30 September 2031 to protect large immovable wooden heritage objects — Decision (EU) 2026/2142, despite the non-renewal of the substance’s approval in 2024
Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/2142 of 25 September 2026, published on 29 September, allows Italy under Article 55(3) of Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 to authorise the biocidal product “Vikane” of product-type 8 (wood preservatives) to protect large immovable cultural heritage objects with wooden elements — churches, windmills and other historic buildings. The approval of sulfuryl fluoride for product-types 8 and 18 was not renewed by Decision (EU) 2024/2402.
- Sulfuryl fluoride was deemed approved for product-type 8 until 31 December 2018 and for product-type 18 until 30 June 2021, and after three extensions until 31 December 2024. Sweden evaluated the renewal applications of 28 June 2017; in its opinions of 13 September 2023 ECHA found the data insufficient to assess reproductive toxicity and endocrine-disrupting properties, and the applicant did not supplement them in time — hence the 2024 non-renewal.
- Italy applied for the derogation on 16 April 2026. Vikane is applied by fumigation by trained professional users. According to Italy it is the only effective means of controlling insects deep in the wood of large structures: nitrogen generated on site cannot hold the required concentration in such buildings, heat treatment and warm air with controlled humidity may damage some materials, and ethylene oxide, hydrogen cyanide and phosphine have a worse hazard profile and may react with heritage materials.
- The Commission notes that the producer of the active substance, the previous holder of the Vikane authorisation, intends to submit a new application for the approval of sulfuryl fluoride for product-type 8; approval would let Member States authorise products without a derogation, but evaluating the application and obtaining authorisations takes time.
- It is one of a series of decisions of 24–28 September 2026 on protecting cultural heritage: on the same days the Commission allowed Latvia, France, Czechia and Slovakia to authorise ethylene oxide products to protect cultural heritage (in Latvia and France — archival materials) until 31 July 2031. The Czech decision describes continuous gas-chromatographic monitoring of residual gas concentration at all stages of the process, and the Latvian one refers to studies of ethylene oxide residues in books after disinfection carried out at Riga Technical University.