What are plant protection products?

According to Directive 91/414/EC and the Plant Protection Products Act (Official Gazette RS No. 35/07 –  official consolidated text), plant protection products are active substances or preparations intended for:

• plant or plant products protection against harmful organisms, respectively for the prevention of harmful organisms' action,
• impacting on living processes of plants,  differently from nutritives,
• maintaining plant products provided if they are not subject to other rules, 
• control of undesired plants, plant parts, containment and prevention of undesired plant growth.

Who is the Competent Authority for plant protection products in the Republic of Slovenia?

Plant protection products placed on the market for use in the Republic of Slovenia should be registered in line with the Plant Protection Products Act. The Pyhitosanitary Administration of the RS within the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food is the competent authority responsible for plant protection products registration that issues the decision on registration, in agreement with the competent authority for chemicals, the National Chemicals Bureau within the Ministry of Health.

What role does the National Chemicals Bureau play with regard to plant protection products?

The National Chemicals Bureau participates in the procedure of issuing registration decision on plant protection products by granting a consensus to the decision, a prerequisite stipulated by Article 13 of the Plant Protection Products Act, as well as by Article 49.a of the Chemicals Act (Official Gazette RS No. 110/03 – official consolidated text and 47/04 - ZdZPZ).

The consensus of the National Chemicals Bureau is based on risk assessment of a plant protection product in relation to human health and the environment. In addition to uniform principles the evaluation has to consider also the geographical, environmental and health features of the Slovene territory as well as its intended purpose and use in Slovenia.
 
Provided that there are new circumstances emerging in relation with a plant protection product that has already been granted the consensus, impacting on the results of the assessment, the National Chemicals Bureau may remove its consensus issued.

 
Contact Point: Lijana Kononenko