Ethylene oxide stays in protecting Polish collections against mould — Commission consent until 2031
With Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/2146, published on 28 September 2026, the Commission allowed Poland to authorise biocidal products containing ethylene oxide for the protection of cultural heritage until 31 July 2031. The substance was not approved for product-type 2, and Poland showed that there is no effective alternative against mould and bacterial contamination of collections.
- Ethylene oxide was not approved as an active substance for product-type 2 by Decision (EU) 2025/1074; on 25 February 2026 Poland applied for a derogation under Article 55(3) of Regulation (EU) No 528/2012.
- According to the application, chamber fumigation is the most effective method of disinfecting library and archive collections: it destroys moulds, their spores and resistant forms, does not change the optical properties of paper and makes it possible to treat whole collections, for example after floods or fire-fighting water.
- The alternatives were found inadequate: ethanol works only locally and on the surface, fogging with quaternary ammonium compounds does not kill spores, anoxia does not work against moulds and bacteria, gamma radiation degrades cellulose and UV does not work against spores.
- Treatment takes place in hermetically sealed vacuum fumigation chambers, with residual gas routed to a catalytic incinerator; disinfected items are kept for at least 7 days in a room with an ethylene oxide detection system. Similar decisions of 24 September concern Latvia and France.
Source: Dziennik Urzędowy Unii Europejskiej — decyzja wykonawcza Komisji (UE) 2026/2146