Display trade in plant protection products; certificate of competence

A person requires a certificate of competence if they wish to place plant protection products on the market commercially or via the Internet outside of commercial activities.

The competent authority will check whether you meet the requirements for acquiring expertise in plant protection. The requirements you must fulfill depend on the activity you wish to carry out (e.g. dispensing plant protection products). If the necessary requirements are met, the applicant will receive a certificate recognizing their plant protection expertise. This certificate entitles the applicant to carry out the activity specified in the certificate of competence.

Responsibility lies with the Giessen Regional Council - Department 51.4 Plant Protection Service.

• Certificate of a recognized professional qualification or
• Certificate of successful completion of a certificate of competence examination or
• Certificate of a recognized course of study, if applicable additional certificate (from universities, training institution) or
• Certificate from another EU member state for the sustainable use of pesticides
• If necessary, certified translation of the documents submitted
• If applicable, informal confirmation of costs from the specified invoice recipient
• If applicable, certificate of further specialist training

• Online procedure possible: yes
• Written form required: no

You can prove your expertise

• with a certificate of a recognized vocational qualification (e.g. farmer, winegrower, gardener, etc.) in conjunction with an additional certificate from the vocational school) or
• a certificate of successful completion of a certificate of competence examination (e.g. as part of a certificate of competence course) or
• with a certificate of a recognized course of study in conjunction with an additional certificate from the university or
• with a valid certificate from another EU Member State for the sustainable use of pesticides.

If there are more than three years between the issue of the certificate and the application, a current certificate of further training must also be submitted.

A list of the recognized qualifications for the certificate of competence can be found below:

• Plant Protection Expertise Ordinance of 27.06.2013 BGBl. I p. 1953 (No. 34); last amended by Article 376 V. of 31.08.2015 BGBl. I p. 1474
  Valid from 06.07.2013

The authority accepts the complete application documents and checks the information and the authenticity of the certificates and/or attestations. If all the requirements for the certificate of competence have been met, the authority issues the certificate of competence and a fee notice. Once payment has been received, the authority will send the certificate of competence to the person submitting the application.

The new certificate of competence (SKN) in card format has been required since 26.11.2015.

The application for this must be submitted online. (Please ask your friends or acquaintances for help if you cannot find your way around the internet). Further information can be viewed via the tile of the responsible federal state. The certificate of competence can be applied for with or without registration. Then fill in the mandatory fields with the applicant's details. After entering the security code, you will be taken to the application page. Enter the application type here. The application type "Dispensing" includes the sale of plant protection products. After confirming the required knowledge of German and accepting the privacy policy, you can upload your copies of certificates, such as an assistant's certificate or a certificate of competence. Finally, submit the application using the corresponding button. After submitting your data, a brief message will appear in the online portal to inform you whether your application has been successful. You will not receive a separate e-mail or further confirmation. It is not necessary to send the signed application by post.

Alternatively: If you are unable to upload the certificate yourself, send a copy by post to the relevant office.

Former experts (persons who acquired their expertise in the use of plant protection products before July 6, 2013) or new experts who graduated more than 3 years ago, proof of participation in a recognized training course on plant protection expertise is required in addition to the certificate. If all documents are complete, the application will be processed within 4 to 6 weeks. You will receive a notification and an invoice for 30 euros (40 euros for foreign certificates). It can take up to 2 months to send the certificate of competence card after payment. In addition to the application for a certificate of competence, you must take part in 4 hours of further training over a recurring 3-year period.

If there are more than three years between the date of the certificate and the date of application, a current certificate of further training must also be submitted.

8 weeks

30.00 Euro

(40.00 euros for foreign certificates due to the higher examination costs)

50.00 Euro for applications by post, e-mail

Fee from 30,00 EUR to 50,00 EUR