Plant protection products are authorised specifically for crops or crop groups. Crops are designated either as individual species (e.g. apple) or in the form of groups (e.g. pome fruit). The groups form a hierarchical system with several levels ("crop tree") harmonised by the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation (EPPO) throughout the EU. The crop tree is shown as a table in the appendix and is directly valid for all plant protection products authorised or approved in Austria. Below you will find explanations and background information on the crop tree.

EPPO - European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation

The EPPO(https://www.eppo.int/) is an international organisation for cooperation and collaboration between its member countries in matters of plant protection and plant health. The EPPO currently comprises 52 member countries. Together with experts from its member countries, the EPPO develops standards on phytosanitary topics such as harmful organisms, phytosanitary procedures, production of certified plants, risk analysis, diagnosis and eradication measures.

Authorisation of plant protection products for indications

As part of the authorisation and approval of plant protection products, the exact conditions for the use of the product are defined by the BAES. In specific indications, it is precisely stated and determined in which crops and against which pests the plant protection product is authorised and how it may be used. As part of the authorisation and approval process, the labelling elements are also specified in the form of instructions and conditions that must be included on the commercial packaging. This information can also be viewed or published in the plant protection product register. The safe use of a plant protection product is ensured by observing and implementing the instructions given in the labelling.

Crops and crop groups - EPPO coding

The EPPO Global Database(https://gd.eppo.int/) is an online database that provides information on the names of around 50,000 plants and pests. It contains scientific names, synonyms, trivial names in several languages, EPPO codes and taxonomic relationships. The EPPO coding of terms for crops and crop groups is of particular importance for the following reasons:

• Crops to be treated with plant protection products are now precisely defined within the European Union by a five-digit code. The EPPO code forms the basis for the internationally unique designation of a crop or crop group.
• According to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/564, professional users of plant protection products are obliged from 2026 to document the treated crop with an EPPO code, among other things, for the purpose of recording the use of plant protection products. The integration of the EPPO code system into the authorisation procedure and the complete application of these codes for the plant protection products already authorised will make it much easier for agricultural businesses to fulfil these documentation obligations.
• The Austrian crop tree based on the EPPO system is also an important element for users to ensure that plant protection products are used as intended. In the case of crop group designations, this provides a clear and transparent representation of the possible scope of application and a precise definition and specification of the crops concerned.
• In order to be able to establish a hierarchical crop query in the PPP register as a further service for users in the medium term, it is essential to define an Austrian crop tree based on the EPPO code system.

In the Austrian "crop tree" published below as a table, as already explained, the crops are named either as individual species (e.g. apple, pear) or in the form of groups (e.g. pome fruit, stone fruit). The groups form a hierarchical system with several levels ("crop tree"). In individual cases, plant protection products are not used for the treatment of cultivated plants, but for other purposes, e.g. for the treatment of storage areas. Such objects are also integrated into the crop tree.

Annex I of the EU MRL Regulation (Regulation (EC) No 396/2005) defines products and product groups. These definitions apply to the setting of maximum residue levels. The crop groups now applicable for authorisation and the product groups in Annex I of Regulation (EC) No. 396/2005 show many similarities. In individual cases where there is not full agreement in the scope of the groups, the individual crops are listed in the authorisation or the requirements of Regulation (EC) No. 396/2005 are complied with by restricting the scope of the indication (text field "crop/object restrictions" in the plant protection product register).

The naming of crop groups instead of individual crops serves the purpose of simplification and avoids indication gaps. When submitting applications as part of authorisation procedures, it therefore makes sense to always consider the assigned groups of crops in addition to the individual species in order to cover as many crop species as possible in one authorisation. If possible, extrapolation based on efficacy and residue data can be carried out during the authorisation procedure.

Crops and crop groups - restrictions

The text field "Crop/object restrictions" in the plant protection product register is used to make further specifications in the scope of application for a crop or crop group that cannot be integrated into the EPPO crop hierarchy system. This applies in particular to different forms of use and harvest stages of a crop (e.g. use as baby leaf lettuce). The text fields listed here should always be read as "restricted to" conditions. In addition, the crop group can be further restricted by the text field "excluded".

Crops and crop groups - stock goods, ornamental plant crops, forest trees and shrubs, herbs, spices and medicinal herbs/medicinal plants

• Stock goods within the meaning of plant protection law are products of plant origin that have not been processed or have only been processed by simple methods such as drying, grinding or crushing. Flour or semolina, for example, are therefore considered to be stored goods, but not pasta made from them. Compound foods such as muesli are also not included. No separate systematic grouping has been published by the EPPO with regard to stored goods. In the plant protection product register, authorised indications in stock protection can be identified by the application area "stock protection" and by the suffix "(stock protection)" in the crop or crop group.
• The ornamental plant cultivation area of application is subdivided into the "ornamental plant crops" and "turf" crop groups. The umbrella term "Ornamental crops" is divided into three crop groups. Individual ornamental plant species or ornamental plants are not listed in the crop tree, as this is a very large and heterogeneous group and the EPPO does not currently have a classification system.
• The "forest" area of application includes the cultivated group of forest trees and shrubs. This "umbrella term" is subdivided into two crop groups. Individual forestry crops are not listed in the crop tree. The EPPO does not currently have a more detailed categorisation.
• The crop group " herbs, spices and medicinal herbs/medicinal plants " is part of the application area "vegetable cultivation". The concept of the crop tree also provides for individual crops or subgroups to be assigned to different superordinate groups. Certain crops can be assigned to "herbs", "aromatic herbs" or "medicinal plants" according to the EPPO hierarchy. This categorisation is necessary in consideration of subsequent use with regard to residue formation and the setting of maximum residue levels.

EPPO changes coding for white cabbage from BRSOL to BRSOH - crop tree and register adjusted as of 30.01.2026, scope of authorisation unchanged

As part of the EU-wide harmonised system of the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation (EPPO), the coding of the white cabbage crop has been changed from BRSOL to BRSOH. The Austrian crop tree and the EPPO codes of the affected indications in the official plant protection product register were adjusted accordingly as of 30 January 2026. The scope of authorisation of the plant protection products concerned remains unchanged by this technical change.

The "Implementation of EPPO crop hierarchy" project was co-financed as a sub-project within the "Digitalisation in agriculture" cluster.