Introduction to extension of authorisation for minor use: pesticide products
Authorised uses on plant protection product (PPP) labels ('on-label' authorisations) do not cover every pest or crop combination, particularly for crops that are grown on a small scale in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
If economically damaging levels of pests, weeds or diseases occur in a crop where there is no on-label authorisation of a suitable plant protection product, then an extension of authorisation for minor use (EAMU) can be considered.
Both authorisation holders and growers or grower organisations can apply for an EAMU, to cover additional uses to those authorised and shown on the manufacturer's product label.
The extension can be given where it meets all the following:
- the use is minor in nature
- it’s in the public interest
- all safety aspects of the risk assessment can be satisfied
A minor use is defined as:
- any crop other than a major crop (such as cereals (other than rye and triticale), oilseed rape, grassland, sugar beet, potato (other than seed), forage maize and beans dry harvested
- a major crop against a minor pest for which no practicable control measures are available
Any such extension of uses granted may have additional conditions of use attached to them. Use in these cases is undertaken at the user's choosing, and the commercial risk is entirely theirs.
Users are required to be in possession of the relevant EAMU details. Electronic copies of EAMUs can be obtained from the EAMU Database.
There are a number of different types of extensions of use. For more information, read about applying for an extension of authorisation for minor use.
Labels
When an EAMU is given it can appear on the product label in a separate section titled 'Extension of Use' after the main body of the 'Directions for Use', it does not appear in the biological use statement, nor in the Important Information area, and appears underneath the following text:
"This extension of the authorised use provides for the use of the [product name] in respect of crops and situations, other than those included on the product label [above]. No effectiveness or phytotoxicity data have been assessed and as such the 'extension of use', is at all times done at the user's choosing, and the commercial risk is entirely theirs."
The product authorisation holder can decline to put the extension of use on the product label, but it will be available as an Extension of Authorisation for Minor Use Notice from this website.
Renewal
Once an active substance has been approved under we must re-evaluate PPPs and uses on the basis of dossiers satisfying the requirements of active substance related data product related data.
We refer to this process as renewal.
More information on product renewal applications.
EAMU and parallel trade
Parallel trade plant protection products for Northern Ireland are only permitted to be used in accordance with the provisions of the authorisation of the reference product.
This means that parallel trade products cannot be authorised in their own right for EAMUs but if an EAMU is issued for a NI reference product, then any parallel trade product of the named reference product in NI may also be used with that EAMU. The reference product is shown on the permit notice for parallel trade products.
Long term arrangements for extension of use (LTAEU): pesticide products
The Long Term Arrangements for Extension of Use (LTAEU) were fully withdrawn on 31 December 2020.
They were previously used to allow plant protection products to be used on listed minor crops.
You will need to make a fully supported application for an Extension of Authorisation for Minor Use (EAMU) to support any new non-edible use formerly covered by the LTAEU. Your application must be in line with our guidance and standard evaluation procedures apply.
Existing EAMUs (including former edible and non-edible LTAEU uses) need to be fully supported at product renewal if the use or uses are to continue. Applications are required to demonstrate that all uses are acceptable using modern risk assessment standards. This may require some changes to the good agricultural practice (GAP) and we advise you to liaise with the authorisation holder before submitting an application.