Update of EU legislation on labelling requirements for Update of

Commission Regulation (EU) No 547/2011, of 8 June 2011, establishes the labelling requirements for plant protection products in the European Union (EU).

The European Commission has recently published a new draft regulation, which aims to amend Commission Regulation (EU) No 547/2011 to further harmonize labelling requirements for plant protection products, and also to improve risk communication to end users of these products and ensure the application of strong safety safeguards and sustainability.

The main aspects of this updated regulation are the following:

• Coloured scheme: a colour-coded scheme shall be used on labels to be able to rapidly identify the hazard status of the active ingredients, the existence of microorganisms, and if the product is approved as low risk.
• Digital labelling: digital labels will be made available to users through links or machine-readable forms, including features like voice assistance, auto-search, larger fonts, and translation into another languages.
• Parallel trade permits labelling: plant protection products commercialized under parallel trade permits will be required to have a special label including the batch number, manufacturing date, permit number, and details about the permit holder.
• Standard phrases for risk mitigation measures: these measures shall be included in a clear and concise language and will be grouped according to evaluations of the risks to the environment and human health.
• Potential hazard of the product to the bees: the label of a plant protection product shall contain, where relevant, a pictogram to communicate the potential hazard of the product to the bees.

This draft act is now open for feedback via the European Commission website until next February 3, 2025. The updated Regulation is expected to enter into force on January 1, 2026.