Questions and Answers on the Authorisation Process for Plant Protection Products
BfR FAQ of 30 December 2014
The regulation of plant protection products in the European Union is split into two parts: whereas active substances are approved by the European Union, the plant protection products containing these active and other substances are authorised on a national or zonal level. The authorisation and use of plant protection products are regulated in Germany by the Plant Protection Act and related ordinances, as well as legal European regulations. The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), which evaluates the health risks of the plant protection products, is one of the institutes involved in the authorisation process. The objective of the health risk assessment is to ensure that plant protection products do not cause adverse effects on human or animal health. In addition to this, the BfR is involved in the further development of the test guidelines and assessment concepts.
In light of the broad public discussion of the possible health risks of plant protection products, the BfR has compiled a set of questions and answers on their authorisation process.