Definitions and European Legislations

Plant Protection Products (PPP) are the so-called crop protection products, also called pesticides, and contain insecticides, fungicides, herbicides and nowadays also low-risk substances (bio-pesticides) and basic substances.

These PPP are regulated in EC 1107/2009: “A substance should only be included in PPP where it has been demonstrated that they present a clear benefit for plant production and they are not expected to have any harmful effect on human or animal health or any unacceptable effects on the environment”.

Basic substances

Basic substances are not predominantly used as plant protection products but which may be of value for plant protection and for which the economic interest of applying for approval may be limited.

According to Article 23 of EC1107/2009, the criteria for basic substances are:

• a) is not a substance of concern
• b) does not have an inherent capacity to cause endocrine disruption, neurotoxic or immunotoxic effects
• c) is not predominantly used for plant protection purposes but nevertheless is useful in plant protection either directly or in a product consisting of the substrate and a simple diluent
• d) is not placed on the market as a plant protection product

The European Commission’s database of active substances  contains information on the approval status of basic substances: click on “Advanced search” and select Type = Basic substance.

Fertilising products

A fertilising product means a substance, mixture, microorganism or any other material, applied or intended to be applied, either as its own or mixed with another material, on plants or their rhizosphere for the purpose of providing plants with nutrient or improving nutrition efficiency.

Fertilising products are:

• Fertilisers (Inorganic, organic, organo-mineral)
• Liming materials
• Soil improvers
• Growing media
• Agronomic additives
• Plant biostimulants

Biostimulants

A plant Biostimulant is any substance or microorganism, applied to plants with the aim to enhance nutrient use efficiency and/or tolerance to abiotic stress, and/or crop quality traits, regardless of its nutrient content. This means, Plant Biostimulants are regarded as fertilisers.

Based on these regulations, our Natural Seaweed extracts and the humic- and fulvic acids belong to the fertiliser regulation. Chitosan however, as a basic substance, belongs to the PPP regulation; See the enclosed Commission Staff Working Document .