As part of the authorisation process of plant protection products, documents on efficacy and phytotoxicity, among other things, must be submitted by the applicant. Such studies can only be considered in the authorisations process if they have been conducted by official or officially recognised testing facilities.

The recognition of testing facilities is governed by Section 9 of the Plant Protection Products Regulation 2011. The details of the requirements are set out in Article 29 (3) of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 and Regulation (EU) No 545/2011.

In accordance with the Plant Protection Products Regulation 2011, the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) as well as the Federal Research and Training Centre for Forests, Natural Hazards and Landscape are considered ex officio as testing facilities for the evaluation of efficacy and phytotoxicity.

On request, the Federal Office for Food Safety has to acknowledge other testing facilities by official notice, if the conditions laid down in Section 29 (3) of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 are met – further conditions and obligations may optionally apply.

In accordance with Section 18 (5) of the Plant Protection Products Act 2011, any recognitions of testing facilities declared in accordance with Section 5 of the Plant Protection Products Act 1997 that were in force before 14 June 2011 remain valid until the expiry of the respective recognition.