Anyone who treats seeds with a plant protection product gives young plants better protection against pests and diseases. At the same time, you must comply with strict European and Dutch regulations.
These rules ensure that both professional growers and home gardeners can work safely with treated seed and know exactly which substances have been used.
When are you allowed to treat seeds?
In the Netherlands, you may only treat seeds with plant protection products that are specifically authorised for this purpose. If you sell the treated seeds within the European Union, the product used must also be approved in at least one EU Member State. When exporting treated seeds to countries outside the EU, different labelling requirements may apply. For that reason, it is important to always check the national regulations of the destination country.
What information must appear on the label?
The label of treated seed must be complete and easy to understand. For that reason, you must include:
- the name of the plant protection product in the language of the country where the seed was treated
- the active substance(s) exactly as listed in the product authorisation
- the relevant warning statements (P‑statements) that explain how users should handle the treated seed safely
- the risk‑mitigation measures (restriction statements) taken from the legally required instructions for use
If you sell the treated seeds in another EU Member State, you may add additional languages to the label, as long as the product and the active substances are exactly the same.
Not enough space on the label?
Sometimes the label does not offer enough room for all mandatory information. In that case, you may include an additional document. The label must refer to this document, and the document must refer back to the label. This ensures that all information remains complete and traceable. The document may only contain mandatory information and must not include advertising or other commercial content.
For consumer packaging, each individual packet must be accompanied by its own document. For professional growers, one document per box is sufficient.
Re‑labelling remains allowed
If you use existing packaging, you may place new labels over old labels or over pre‑printed packaging. As long as the information is correct and complete, you comply with the requirements.
Where these rules come from
The legal basis for the labelling of treated seed is laid down in Regulation (EC) 1107/2009, Article 49(4). In addition, the European Union is developing a more detailed guidance document that will further clarify how these rules should be applied in practice.
More information can be found on the official website of the NVWA.
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