Twenty-five percent ‘green’ authorisations in 2018

Out of a total of 120 new plant protection products, the Board for the Authorisation of Plant Protection Products and Biocidal Products (Ctgb) authorised 29 ‘green’ products in 2018. This is a substantial increase compared with a decade ago.

In the majority of these green products, the active substance is a plant extract, signal substance (pheromone) or micro-organism such as a bacterium, virus or fungus. The 29 green products include 8 that are based on low-risk substances, 13 that are based on an active substance that has been identified as potentially low-risk and likely to be classified as low-risk in a subsequent reassessment, and 8 products with minor impact on humans, animals and the environment, such as acetic acid, that do not comply entirely with the low-risk criteria.

In 2018, the Board made a total of 196 decisions on applications for plant protection products and 70 decisions on biocidal products; 120 authorisations were granted for plant protection products and 150 for biocidal products. Multiple authorisations are often issued for a single product due to multiple authorised uses. The Ctgb authorised 88% of the requested uses for plant protection products and 87% of the uses for biocidal products. Of the requested uses, 12% and 13%, respectively, were rejected by the Ctgb or withdrawn by the applicant because of risks identified during the assessment. For 69% and 46%, respectively, of the requested uses, the conditions for use have become more stringent, so that consumers and growers can be confident that these products are safe when used according to instructions.

Figures for 2018

  • Total number of authorised plant protection products in the Netherlands: 1001
  • Total number of authorised biocidal products in the Netherlands: 1654