sunshine countryside in giant causeway,Northern Ireland
The Official Controls (plant protection products) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020
The Official Controls Regulations (The OCR)
The OCR applies to all professional users including farmers of plant protection products (such as insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, molluscicides and plant growth regulators), across all sectors including agriculture, horticulture, amenity and forestry.
You are required to comply with the OCR if as part of your work / business activity you:
- Store professional use plant protection products (PPPs);
- Apply professional use PPPs yourself; or
- Have professional use PPPs applied by a third party / contractor on your behalf.
The OCR also applies to businesses involved in the supply chain of PPP, their components and adjuvants.
Operators and businesses may be inspected under the powers given by The Official Controls (Plant Protection Products) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 to ensure they comply with existing PPP legislation, including The Plant Protection Products Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011 and The Plant Protection Products (Sustainable Use) Regulations 2012.
Why register my details with the Competent Authority?
If your business activity involves plant protection products (pesticides) you must comply with the Official Controls (Plant Protection Products) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020.
Registration is your way of confirming to DAERA that you are complying with the regulations. A farmer is a professional user.
Separate registers have been compiled by Defra for businesses located in Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland.
What information is being requested?
Section 5(1) of The Official Controls (Plant Protection Products) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 requires that each operator notify the Competent Authority (DAERA) of the following information:
- Name and legal form.
- Activities carried out.
- Address(es) of the premises on which those activities are carried out.
You are also asked to estimate the quantity of pesticides stored, manufactured, processed, distributed, sold or used in a typical year. For professional users, this includes farmers, the pesticides that you apply and any pesticides you have applied for you by third parties.
The online system allows you to register your farm business address and the addresses of all premises under your control where pesticides are used.
Farmers can access the registration link on the DAERA website. This link is currently live and has been operational for some time.
The UFU are currently in discussions with DAERA regarding transitioning from current paper record keeping official control records to mechanical readable (electronic) official control records.
Equine – Registration requirement update
From 1 February 2026, Registration of Equine Establishments (obtaining an Equine Establishment Number (EEN) will be required when you apply for a horse passport, apply to update an existing horse passport, or apply for a replacement/duplicate horse passport.
You should therefore, ensure that you register your equine establishment now in advance of this date to avoid any delays in your passport application(s). It is a legal requirement to hold a valid, up to date passport for your equine.
You may be unable to sell, buy, move, transport or export your equine if you cannot provide a valid EEN and keep your passport up to date. Moving your equine to Great Britain, Ireland or other countries for competitions, shows or other activities requires an up-to-date passport and possibly an export health certificate (subject to export destination), which requires an EEN.
Full details on DAERA website.
