Fertilisers, plant protection and garden chemicals

• Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 — fertilising products
• Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 — plant protection products
• Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 — CLP
• Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 where the claim is biocidal

Who has to appoint one

Anyone placing fertilisers or plant treatment products on the EU market. Fertilising products can be CE marked under Regulation 2019/1009 with an authorised representative, or follow national rules. Plant protection products require product authorisation in each member state with approved active substances, and there is no representative shortcut.

Thresholds and exemptions

None. Consumer garden packs follow the same regime as professional products, with additional restrictions on which actives may be sold to amateur users.

What must appear on the label

For CE-marked fertilising products: CE marking, product function category, nutrient declaration, manufacturer and representative details, batch number and the required warnings. For plant protection products: the authorisation number, the approved uses, dose rates, pre-harvest intervals, protective equipment requirements and the full CLP information.

Marketplace fields

Marketplaces block plant protection products without a national authorisation number, and cross-border consumer sales are prohibited in most member states.

Documentation you must hold

For fertilisers: technical documentation, conformity assessment per product function category, and the declaration of conformity. For plant protection: the national authorisation, the dossier, residue data and the safety data sheet. Poison centre notification with UFI for classified mixtures.

Standards and testing

Nutrient content verification, contaminant limits including cadmium in phosphate fertilisers, and for plant protection products efficacy, residue and ecotoxicology studies.

Language requirements

The complete label including uses and safety phrases in the language of each member state of sale.

When it applies

Authorisation before first sale for plant protection products; conformity assessment before placing on the market for CE-marked fertilisers.

How long records are kept

Ten years.

What happens if you do not comply

Seizure, withdrawal and criminal proceedings for unauthorised plant protection products, which are treated as an environmental offence rather than a labelling matter.

Who enforces it

National plant protection and fertiliser authorities, environmental agencies and customs.

Where the boundary lies

Fertilising products can use an authorised representative; plant protection products cannot, because authorisation attaches to the product in each member state. A moss killer or weed treatment making a biocidal rather than plant protection claim falls under Regulation 528/2012 instead.

Questions we are asked

Can we ship weed killer to EU consumers from outside?

No. Plant protection products require national authorisation and in most member states cannot be sold cross-border to consumers at all.

Is an organic fertiliser exempt?

No. It follows either the CE-marked route under Regulation 2019/1009 with contaminant limits, or national rules.