Regulation (EU) No. 1107/2009 determines under article 53 that a Member State can authorise a plant protection product on the market in special circumstances for limited and controlled use. This authorisation may be granted for a maximum period of 120 days for a pest, disease or weed which cannot be managed in any other reasonable means.
For such requests, it must be demonstrated that it is an exceptional emergency situation.
After acquiring the emergency authorisation, initiatives must be taken to find a permanent solution to the problem. For example, through research for possible (alternative) measures to protect the crop or through applying for a standard authorisation or an extension of an existing one. Our service can supply the necessary help with this.
In the case of repeated applications, the applicant is requested to show what has been done to find a permanent solution.
Theoretically, all applications are admissible. However, in practice a potential applicant must ensure that the concerned formulation can be evaluated according to the criteria specific to plant protection products.
This does not mean that a complete dossier is required, but rather that a minimum amount of information must be available for each part of the evaluation to be evaluated. In general, it is assumed that this minimum consists of the availability of a DAR for the active substance of the concerned formulation. The Service Plant Protection products and fertilizers is open for discussion and assistance in this regard.
Furthermore, if the use requested in the context of an emergency application requires a Ps phytolicense for an active substance for which this type of license does not yet exists, the application will be inadmissible. Indeed, the time required to organise the examination necessary to grant a new type of Ps would far exceed the duration of the emergency authorisation itself (120 days).
The following procedure must be followed for the submission of such requests:
- The application must be ESFCS (E-Submission Food Chain) of the European Commission.
- The document 'template 120 days application' must be sent via email to Anneke De Cock (anneke.decock@health.fgov.be), Head of Unit supervision and valorisation of authorisations, and to Ilse Pittomvils and Jérémy Denis (see email addresses below).
New template 2023 with confirmation of the availability of the product on the market and availability of information on the composition!
Contact: Jérémy Denis (jeremy.denis@health.fgov.be) and Ilse Pittomvils (ilse.pittomvils@health.fgov.be).
List of emergency authorisations in Belgium
Emergency authorisations (valid in 2024 or later) are available in our search function. Filter by authorisation type “Emergency authorisations (120 days)” to find only emergency authorisations. Set the status to “Withdrawn” to find expired emergency authorisations (from 2024 onwards).
Search for emergency authorisations
The list of emergency authorisations in Belgium prior to 2024 is no longer updated.
Find out more information about the management of emergency situations.
Use of the authorisation number on the labelling
Since the integration of authorisations in emergency situations in our database and the possibility to find them in our search tool, these authorisations all receive their own authorisation number. The use of this number on the label differs according to the authorised product:
- If the product is already authorised in Belgium for other uses and therefore already has an authorisation number on its label, in this case the emergency authorisation number (xxxxP/B/120,..) should not be added on the label. The product available on the market can be used for the uses listed on the label and for those temporarily authorised through the emergency application.
- If the product was previously authorised in Belgium and subsequently withdrawn from the market, the emergency authorisation is assigned its own reference number (xxxxP/B/120, etc.) and on the authorisation, reference is made to the authorisation number of the withdrawn product (reference product). Also in this case, the emergency authorisation number must not be stated on the label. The product labelled in accordance with the old, withdrawn authorisation may still be sold and used, provided that, when used, all the conditions set out in the current emergency authorisation in force are strictly complied with. Any subsequent emergency authorisation shall refer to the reference product (the withdrawn product), which serves as the common link between all emergency authorisations.
- If the product has never been authorised in Belgium the number of the authorisation granted in an emergency situation (xxxxP/B/120,..) must be present on the label.
- Where the same unauthorised product is the subject of several emergency authorisations, these shall explicitly refer to the first emergency authorisation as the reference product. The product labelled in accordance with the first emergency authorisation (reference product) may still be sold and used provided that, when used, all the conditions set out in the current emergency authorisation in force are strictly complied with. Any subsequent emergency authorisation shall refer to the first emergency authorisation, which serves as the common link between all emergency authorisations.
Use of the authorisation number in the register of use
The authorisation number shown on the label should always be mentioned in the register of use.
Which authorisation number applies depends on the status of the product, as explained in the section above.
In case that the product with the standard authorisation number is stated on the label and consequently also in the register of use, the emergency authorisation number may be added as a remark to the register of use for clarity.
In case that the product with the first emergency authorisation number is stated on the label and consequently also in the register of use, the number of the valid emergency authorisation may be added as a remark to the register of use for clarity.