Find out if you need to submit a pesticide product application

You must submit an application for an authorisation if you wish to market a plant protection product, carry out research and development work with a plant protection product, import a plant protection product into  Great Britain (GB) or Northern Ireland (NI) or require an extension of authorisation for a Minor use (EAMU) of a plant protection product.

If you wish to market an adjuvant then you must submit an application for the inclusion of your product on the 'Official List' of adjuvants.

Your authorisation will be issued under the appropriate legislative regime.

How do I obtain an authorisation?

For a commercial level of authorisation

If you wish to market a plant protection product (including biological and novel plant protection products) in GB or NI, you must apply for a commercial level of authorisation .Further information is available on the data and/or information that will need to be provided.

For research and development work

If you wish to carry out research and development work on an approved or unapproved active substance and/or plant protection product you must apply for a trials permit. We will issue a permit that specifies how the plant protection product should be stored and used.

A permit may not be necessary if the active substance and/or plant protection product is not going to be released into the environment.

The guidance on trials permits provides further information on this type of application. Further information is available on the data and/or information that will need to be provided.

For importing plant protection products (pesticides) into Northern Ireland

If you wish to import a plant protection product into Northern Ireland and market it on the basis that it is identical to a product already authorised in Northern Ireland, you must apply for a parallel permit. Procedures for these applications are different to those for commercial authorisations. If you want to use an imported product but do not wish to market it in Northern Ireland, you may apply for an 'own use parallel permit'.

The guidance on Parallel Permits provides further information on this type of application. Further information is available on the data and/or information that will need to be provided.

For an extension of authorisation for a minor use product

An application for an Extension of Authorisation for a Minor Use (EAMU) in respect of the product will be required where the use is not authorised. We will assess the proposed use and if it is considered safe an authorisation will be issued that specifies how the plant protection product must be used on that particular crop/situation in order to ensure that risks are acceptable.

The use is not assessed for effectiveness or crop safety, and if you use an Extension of Authorisation for a Minor Use (EAMU) you do so at your own commercial risk. the guidance document on Extension of Authorisation for Minor Use provides further information.

For an adjuvant

If you wish to market an adjuvant for use with a plant protection product, you must apply for its inclusion on the 'Official List' of adjuvants. The 'List Entry' will specify the identity of the adjuvant and the conditions that a user must comply with.

The guidance document on adjuvants provides more information on this type of application.

For commodity substances

Commodity substances are chemicals which have a variety of non-pesticidal uses and also have uses as a plant protection product. If such a substance is to be used as a plant protection product it will require approval. Details of existing commodity substance approvals are available. If you wish to gain approval for a new commodity substance, see the guidance document on commodity substances.

What if I want to import treated produce into the UK?

To import produce into GB with pesticide residues that may be higher than the GB maximum residue level (MRL), you must apply for an import tolerance before importing treated produce. An overview of MRLs and import tolerances is given on the MRLs webpage. Details on how to apply for an Import tolerance are on the MRL applications webpage.

What if I want to export a pesticide outside the UK?

If you want to export an active substance or plant protection product authorised in GB/NI to a country outside GB/NI, the authorities in the importing country may ask you to provide evidence of the authorisation status of the active substance, the plant protection product or the adjuvant. Upon request we will issue certificates of free-sale which provide details of the approval status of the active substance, plant protection product or adjuvant and confirm that they are registered for use in England, Scotland and Wales. Information on obtaining certificates of free-sale can be found on this website.

What if I want to conduct efficacy trials?

If you wish to carry out efficacy testing and analysis for yourself or on behalf of a third party, your testing facilities must be 'Officially Recognised'. We will only accept data from efficacy trials started after 1 January 1998 where the tests were carried out by Officially Recognised organisations.

Further information on Official Recognition and applying for your organisation to be Officially Recognised is available. Official recognition also applies to efficacy testing of beneficials and semiochemicals.

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Updated 2024-01-30