Detergent means any substance or preparation containing soaps and/or other surfactants intended for washing and cleaning processes. Detergents may be in any form (liquid, powder, paste, bar, cake, moulded piece, shape, etc.) and marketed for or used in household, or institutional or industrial purposes.

Requirements for detergents placed on the market from 8th of October 2005 on are regulated with the  Regulation (EC) No 648/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 on detergents.

Manufacturers placing on the market preparations covered by regulation 648/2004/EC an  ingredient datasheet have to be made available to Health Board.

Manufacturers shall make available on a website the list of ingredients.
For detergents containing surfactants for which the level of ultimate aerobic biodegradation is lower than 60% within 28 days, manufacturers of industrial or institutional detergents containing surfactants, and/or surfactants for industrial or institutional detergents, may ask for derogation. Detergent surfactants, for which the level of primary biodegradability is lower than 80%, shall not be granted derogation.
Applying for derogation for detergents containing surfactants failing to comply with the ultimate biodegradability limits for evaluating the safety aspects related to the specific use of surfactants and exceptional placing on the market with corresponding conditions or limitations of this kind of detergents.

For granting of derogation for detergent manufacturer shall provide to the Health Board and to the Commission an application with technical file with following data:

• Results of ultimate and primary biodegradability tests;
• In case of need complementary risk assessments for surfactants in detergents;
• Chemical safety data sheet for detergent classified as dangerous chemical substance;
• The receipt of payment of a state fee.

A state fee of 11066 kroons (EEK) is collected for granting of derogation for detergent.

Bank details for the fee payment are as follows:

• Beneficiary costomer: RAHANDUSMINISTEERIUM
• Beneficiary's account: IBAN EE89 1010220034796011
• Beneficiary's Bank: SEB Eesti Ühispank, Tallinn, Estonia
• BIC: EEUHEE2X

On cross-border payment order, details of payment, must have:
Health Board - 2900074642, name of detergent