Application provisions of plant protection products protecting non-target terrestrial plants (NTTP) and non-target arthropods (NTA) in the treatment area (in-field)

Since December 2019, the German Federal Environmental Agency (UBA) has demanded that the application provision NTnew (arable flora) protecting non-target terrestrial plants (NTTP) and the application provision NTnew (arable arthropods) protecting non-target arthropods (NTA) in the treatment area (in-field) should be considered when authorising plant protection products in Germany. According to these application provisions, the affected plant protection product and other plant protection products, which also have one of the application provisions, may only be applied to a maximum of 90% of the treated area. This article provides a comprehensive legal assessment of whether there is a legal basis in European Union law or German law to grant a plant protection product authorisation with the application provision NTnew (arable flora) or NTnew (arable arthropods).