EU Commission Opens Public Consultation Until 2nd October 2025
New EU regulation on plant protection products that modifies the data requirements for active ingredients in plant protection products has been amended by the European Commission. In order to bring Commission Regulation (EU) No 283/2013 up to date with the latest scientific and technical developments, known as the draft, designated as PLAN/2023/1937 version 4.0 and Annex 5.0.
Why the Change?
There is a need for revisions based on the evolution of methods for doing risk assessments and regulatory investigations. Certain earlier techniques are now obsolete, while new strategies—such as alternatives to animal testing—have emerged. Also, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have updated their guidance guidelines, especially those that deal with the evaluation of these substances’ risks to bees, birds, and mammals as well as their effects on drinking water treatment systems.
Key Provisions and Transitional Periods for New EU regulation on plant protection products
The Commission has established significant transitional measures to provide applicants enough time to comply with the new standards.
- For Active Substance Approvals: According to the regulation, the new standards will be voluntary for a certain amount of time. This is intended to “leave applicants sufficient time to meet the new requirements introduced by this Regulation, while taking into account that certain applicants may be able to meet these new requirements earlier than others.”
- For Plant Protection Product Authorizations: For information on the active ingredients in plant protection products, transitional measures are also in place. Applicants are permitted to “submit data according to the requirements that applied at the time of the approval or the latest renewal of the approval of the active substances concerned.” However, applicants may also submit data based on the new requirements if they are prepared to adhere to the new standards.
This Regulation shall come into force on the ‘twentieth day’ after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. This Regulation shall be fully binding and directly applicable in all Member States.
Feedback period: Until 02 October 2025 (midnight Brussels time)
This draft regulation reflects the Commission’s commitment to ensuring that plant protection products are approved based on the most robust and current scientific evidence available.
