Don’t forget to register as a plant protection products user

I just want to remind you all that, if you’ve not already done so, you have until June 22 to register with Defra (or DAERA in Northern Ireland) as a user of professional plant protection products.

The Official Controls (Plant Protection Products) Regulations, introduced two years ago, requires anyone who uses products such as insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, molluscicides, plant growth regulators and adjuvants as part of their job – or anyone whose job involves employing others to apply them – has to register.

Registration includes giving details such as where products are kept and used. You will also need to keep usage records – though most will be doing so anyway as a matter of routine.

The regulations are part of wider legislation, introduced by the EU in 2019 and retained in the UK post-Brexit, intended to bring an ‘integrated and uniform approach’ to rules across all aspects of the agri-food supply chain. Product manufacturers and suppliers already have to register under the regulations.

According to the Health and Safety Executive, which is responsible for enforcement, the aim is to take a more proactive and risk-based approach to inspections for compliance with current regulations. It says it intends to focus on areas of greatest risk while minimising burdens on businesses.

Since announcing the requirement for users to register, Defra has modified the registration form so you can record your involvement in assurance schemes, which should mean that will be taken into account when it comes to checks on compliance.

The official registration form and more information can be found here.