Rules to protect plants from pests in Spain

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1. The law sets goals to protect plants and plant products from pest damage, prevent the entry and spread of quarantine pests, and avoid risks to health and the environment from the use of plant protection products.
2. Farmers, foresters, traders and importers must monitor their crops and harvests, provide information to public authorities, and report any unusual appearance of harmful organisms or disease symptoms.
3. Plants and products from third countries may only enter Spain through authorized entry points, with a prior plant health inspection. If there is a risk, the goods can be sent back, destroyed or confined, and the costs are paid by the importer.
4. Landowners must keep their crops in good plant health and apply mandatory pest control measures. Authorities can officially declare a pest, classify the fight against it as public utility, or declare a phytosanitary emergency, with measures such as destroying plants, banning crops or setting harvest dates.
5. If pest control measures destroy or damage private or public property, the authority that declared the pest must compensate those affected, unless the situation was caused by breaking the law. People affected by mandatory pest control may receive technical assistance and financial aid.
6. Plant protection products can only be sold if the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food authorizes them and registers them in the official register. Authorization lasts a maximum of ten years, and the procedure takes at most twelve months.
7. Manufacturers, sellers and users of these products have specific duties: labeling in Spanish, information on risks, staff training, and following label instructions. Food cannot exceed the maximum residue levels allowed.
8. Offenses are classified as minor, serious or very serious, with fines from €300 to €3,000,000, which can increase by 50% when there is danger to health or the environment. Additional penalties include confiscating goods or temporarily closing the business.

Who it affects

• Farmers and foresters: They must monitor their crops, report pests and carry out mandatory plant health measures at their own cost, though they may receive aid and compensation.
• Traders and importers of plants: They must register in official registers, keep their products in good plant health and pass border inspections.
• Manufacturers and distributors of plant protection products: They need prior authorization to sell their products and must meet labeling, packaging and information requirements.
• Users of plant protection products: They must use them following the labels and good plant health practices, and meet training requirements.
• Exporters: They must request inspections to obtain the plant health certificate; exporting without it when required is their responsibility.

Words worth knowing

Plaga de cuarentena (quarantine pest)

A pest with potential economic importance listed by the European Union or classified as such by the Ministry of Agriculture. Its entry and spread is banned.

Productos fitosanitarios (plant protection products)

Products meant to protect plants from pests, such as pesticides.

Límite máximo de residuos (maximum residue limit)

The highest amount of plant protection product residue legally allowed in food for people or animals.

Lucha integrada (integrated pest management)

Combining biological, chemical and farming methods to control pests while using as few plant protection products as possible.

Medidas cautelares (precautionary measures)

Immediate temporary measures, such as immobilizing or destroying goods, to prevent a risk while the procedure is ongoing.

It summarizes the law as published in the BOE. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries