Derogations and trials

Derogations (120 days) in emergency situations in plant protection

If no product has been authorised for averting the pest in any of the Member States or it cannot be contained by other reasonable means, a Member State may grant an authorisation by derogation for the placing on the market and use of a plant protection product for a maximum of 120 days. The use of the product must be limited and controlled.

Applying for an authorisation by derogation

Fill in the application form
Include in the application:
- Justifications why the use of the product is necessary
- Instructions for use- table
- The residue studies or residue data available on the product
Email the application to the address ppp (at) tukes.fi.

Additionally, you have to submit the application to the EU's ESFC database (E-Submission Food Chain). For further information on application procedures submit your questions to Tukes ppp (at) tukes.fi.

Tukes enters the data on all authorisations granted by derogation with their justifications in the EU Commission’s information system.

You will find information on derogations granted by Tukes in KemiDigi plant protection products register.

Processing time: 60 days

Permit or notification for trials conducted for research and development purposes

A trial permit for research and development purposes may be applied for in Finland for a plant protection product that is not authorised in the country, or for a new use of a product already authorised in Finland. The purpose of the permit is to assess the suitability of the product under Finnish conditions. The applicant must have access to appropriate trial sites and equipment. A permit is not required for laboratory trials. Detailed provisions on trial permits and reporting are laid down in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Decree 353/2025.

Submitting an application

Complete the application form (in finnish)
Submit the application at least two months before the start of the trial to: ppp(at)tukes.fi Subject line of the email: “Trial Permit Application”

Conditions for granting a permit

The application must clearly state the objectives and purpose of the trial
The trial must have a designated responsible person. This person must inform those handling the product or treated plants about the health and environmental effects of the product and provide guidance on protective measures
The applicant must have access to suitable trial facilities
The trial must be conducted under controlled conditions using a limited amount of product on a restricted area. The following maximum area limits apply:
- Open field cultivation: 50 ha
- Greenhouse cultivation: 20 ha
- Tunnel cultivation: 20 ha
- Forest: 50 ha
If a maximum residue level (MRL) has been set for the active substance in the experimental product and the crop obtained from the experiment is used as food or feed, the product must have a valid authorization for the applied-for use in an EU member state. The experimental activities must follow the instructions for use approved by the member state in question. The trial must not be expected to cause harmful effects to human or animal health or the environment
Products used under a trial permit must comply with the same use restrictions as products containing equivalent active substances. If no restrictions are proposed and Tukes has no data on health or environmental risks, generally accepted restrictions will apply (e.g. buffer zones for water bodies, groundwater protection, bee safety)
Tukes does not grant repeated trial permits for the same product and use

The trial must be discontinued immediately if significant harmful effects to health or the environment are observed that could not have been foreseen when the permit was granted. Tukes must be notified without delay.

Trial report

Submit a report to Tukes no later than three months after the permit expires. Send the report to: ppp(at)tukes.fi Subject line of the email: “Trial Report”

The report must include:

Permit holder and responsible person (name and contact details)
Purpose of the trial
Trial site (location, farm ID or property ID, trial area size, site owner)
Timing (when the product was used and total duration of the trial)
Product details (name, composition, application rate, method of application, label text if authorised in the EU)
Weather conditions during application (temperature, wind speed, cloud cover)
Results, analysis and conclusions

When is a notification sufficient?

If the trial is conducted by an officially recognised institution for testing the biological efficacy and usability of plant protection products (GEP-certified), no permit is required. A notification must be sent to Tukes at ppp(at)tukes.fi at least one week before the trial begins. The institution must submit an annual report to Tukes by the end of March on trials completed during the previous calendar year.

Processing time: 60 days

Spreading plant protection products from an unmanned drone

We accept applications for spraying plant protection products with a drone sprayer for research and development purposes.

Submitting your application

Complete the application form.
Submit the form at least two months before your test to ppp (at) tukes.fi.
Include “Drone sprayer permit application” in the subject line. This will make sure it is sent to the correct official.

Permits may be granted under the following conditions

1) The test only uses plant protection products that are approved in Finland. There is a list of products in the Kemidigi plant protection product register.
2) The test requires a minimum 100m safety distance:

to the nearest residence and its yard;
to a watercourse, water tank, water abstraction plant, and the protected area thereof;
to a groundwater area, if the test uses a plant protection product that is banned in groundwater areas;
to a nature reserve under the Nature Conservation Act (9/2023);
to an animal shelter or apiary;
to a school or day-care centre;
to a nearby crop, if not the same crop that grows in the test site.
Tukes may approve a shorter safety distance based on a risk assessment or other statement by the applicant.

3) The person responsible for the test or at least one person involved in the planning or performance thereof must have completed a qualification on plant protection products (Act on Plant Protection Products 1563/2011, section 10).
4) The aircraft or sprayer drone must be tested and suitable for the use stated in the permit application.
5) The drone operator must handle the registrations and permits required by the Aviation Act (527/2014).

Test report
After the test, the applicant must submit a test report to Tukes by the deadline specified in the permit decision.

Complete the test report form and send it to ppp(at)tukes.fi by the deadline.
Include “Drone spraying test report” in the subject line. Further information on drone spraying regulations is available in Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry regulation 353/2025.

Official recognition of facilities testing the biological efficacy and usability of plant protection products (GEP)

A facility can be officially recognised as a facility testing the biological efficacy and usability of plant protection products if its testing operations meet the requirements set for Good Experimental Practice, GEP (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Decree 9/2012, Annex 1).

To seek for recognition send an application form to Tukes. Tukes examines whether the applicants meet the requirements set for recognition by examining the application documents and conducting on-site inspections at the facility.

The requirements concern the following matters: