Plant protection; general information

In addition to the protection of plants (especially cultivated plants) and plant products, the Plant Protection Act also serves to protect human and animal health and the ecosystem.

The natural balance is understood to be the interplay of soil, water and air (abiotic environment) as well as plants and animals of all kinds (biotic environment).
Furthermore, the purpose of the Plant Protection Act is to implement European Community legislation in the field of plant protection law in order to ensure harmonization in the common internal market.

According to the provisions of the Plant Protection Act, plant protection may only be carried out in accordance with good professional practice.

In order to counteract possible ecological and health risks, the reference to "good professional practice" presupposes that a certain level of professional knowledge is required in order to carry out plant protection properly and effectively. Against this backdrop, the Plant Protection Act also standardizes restrictions on use and approval requirements for certain high-risk situations.