Following the Directive 98/8/EC, transposed into the Decreto Legislativo n. 174 of the 25th of February 2000, biocidal products have been subdivided into four different groups for a total of 23 product types, with a specific intended use each.

MAIN GROUP 1: Disinfectants and general biocidal products

These product types exclude cleaning products that are not intended to have a biocidal effect, including washing liquids, powders and similar products.

Product-type 1: Human hygiene biocidal products
Products in this group are biocidal products used for human hygiene purposes.
Product-type 2: Private area and public health area disinfectants and other biocidal products
Products used for the disinfection of air, surfaces, materials, equipment and furniture which are not used for direct food or feed contact in private, public and industrial areas, including hospitals, as well as products used as algaecides.

Usage areas include swimming pools, aquariums, water for bathing and other facilities; air-conditioning systems; walls and floors in health and other institutions; chemical toilets, waste water, hospital waste, soil or other substrates (in playgrounds).
Product-type 3: Veterinary hygiene biocidal products
Products in this group are biocidal products used for veterinary hygiene purposes including products used in areas in which animals are housed, kept or transported.
Product-type 4: Food and feed area disinfectants
Products used for the disinfection of equipment, containers, consumption utensils, surfaces or piping associated with the production, transport, storage or consumption of food, feed or drink (including drinking water) for humans and animals.
Product-type 5: Drinking water disinfectants
Products used for the disinfection of drinking water (for both humans and animals).

MAIN GROUP 2: Preservatives

Product-type 6: In-can preservatives
Products used for the preservation of manufactured products, excluding food for human or animal consumption, in containers by the control of microbial deterioration to ensure their shelf life.
Product-type 7: Film preservatives
Products used for the preservation of films or coatings by the control of microbial deterioration in order to protect the initial properties of the surface of materials or objects such as paints, plastics, sealants, wall adhesives, binders, papers, art works.
Product-type 8: Wood preservatives
Products used for the preservation of wood, from and including the sawmill stage, or wood products by the control of wood-destroying or wood-disfiguring organisms. This product type includes both preventive and curative products.
Product-type 9: Fibre, leather, rubber and polymerised material preservatives
Products used for the preservation of fibrous or polymerised materials, such as leather, rubber or paper or textile products and rubber by the control of microbiological deterioration. 
Product-type 10: Masonry preservatives
Products used for preservation and remedial treatment of masonry or other construction materials other than wood by the control of microbiological and algal attack.
Product-type 11: Preservatives for liquid-cooling and processing systems
Products used for the preservation of water or other liquids used in cooling and processing
systems by the control of harmful organisms such as microbes, algae and molluscs.
Products used for the preservation of drinking water are not included in this product type.
Product-type 12: Slimicides
Products used for the prevention or control of slime growth on materials, equipment and structures, used in industrial processes, e.g. on wood and paper pulp, porous sand strata in oil extraction.
Product-type 13: Metalworking-fluid preservatives
Products used for the preservation of metalworking fluids by the control of microbial deterioration.

MAIN GROUP 3: Pest control

Product-type 14: Rodenticides
Products used for the control of mice, rats or other rodents.
Product-type 15: Avicides
Products used for the control of birds.
Product-type 16: Molluscicides
Products used for the control of molluscs.
Product-type 17: Piscicides
Products used for the control of fish; these products exclude products for the treatment of fish diseases.
Product-type 18: Insecticides, acaricides and products to control other arthropods
Products used for the control of arthropods (e.g. insects, arachnids and crustaceans).
Product-type 19: Repellents and attractants
Products used to control harmful organisms (invertebrates such as fleas, vertebrates such as birds), by repelling or attracting, including those that are used for human or veterinary hygiene either directly or indirectly.

MAIN GROUP 4: Other biocidal products

Product-type 20: Preservatives in food for human or animal consumption
Products used for the preservation of food for human or animal consumption via the control of harmful organisms.
Product-type 21: Antifouling products
Products used to control the growth and settlement of fouling organisms (microbes and higher forms of plant or animal species) on vessels, aquaculture equipment or other structures used in water.
Product-type 22: Embalming and taxidermist fluids
Products used for the disinfection and preservation of human or animal corpses, or parts thereof. 
Product-type 23: Control of other vertebrates
Products used for the control of vermin.