As of 1 January, of this year, in Germany, crop protection products that have been authorised via an emergency authorisation, can only be used in orchards of members of one of the interest groups. The reason for this is that the application for an emergency authorisation is taking more and more time. In Germany these are applied for by the Bundesfachgruppe Obstbau, the German interest group for fruit growing.
More and more products lose their regular authorisation or new products are still waiting for an authorisation. This happens in both integrated and organic growing. As a result, the fruit growing sector has to rely more and more on the possibility offered by the EU and laid down in Article 53 of EU regulation 1107/2009 to apply for an emergency authorisation. In 2024, there were in Germany 11 temporary authorisations for emergencies in fruit production. Moreover, the authorities involved in an emergency authorisation are making ever more and stricter demands. In Germany these authorities are, among others, the Federal Institute for risk assessment (BfR) and the Federal office for consumer protection and food safety (BVL). For instance, the applicant has to increasingly better substantiate why an authorisation is needed. In some cases, the applicant is also demanded to monitor the surface water for the presence of products authorised via Article 53.
Products authorised via Article 53 can only be applied in orchards of growers that are associated with a regional fruit growing union branch or fruit growing association. In the authorisation these are mentioned by name. The regional union branches must report to the Bundesfachgruppe which orchards are concerned.
