Evaluation and registration of plant protection inputs for organic farming

Organic farmers may only use those plant protection products which are listed in Annex II B of the ‘Organic Regulation’ 2092/91 and also registered for use at national level. At present, new compounds may only be listed in Reg. 2092/91, if they do not come into direct contact with the crop (although in perennial crops, contact outside the growing season of the edible parts is possible), which is a major obstacle for progress. The EU-funded ORGANIC INPUTS EVALUATION project aims at making Reg. 2092/91 more flexible with regard to new products, while safeguarding the principles of organic farming. Registra-tion under the ‘Pesticide Directive’ 91/414 represents a considerable financial hurdle. The REBECA project will propose registration requirements which are better adapted for biological control agents, plant extracts and other low-risk products. The aim is to accelerate registration and make it more cost-effective, without compromises to the level of safety.