Individual certificate for plant protection products (Certiphyto or CI-phyto)
Verified 10 April 2024 - Legal and Administrative Information Directorate (Prime Minister), Ministry of Agriculture
You want use, sell or buy plant protection products, also known as phytopharmaceuticals, as part of your professional activity? You must have a individual certificate for plant protection products. It is obtained by passing a diploma, a training or a test.
The certificate is also called Certiphyto.
It's a individual document certifying your ability to use, sell or buy plant protection products or to advise professionals.
This certificate aims to promote the use of alternatives, by providing an incentive to limit the use of these products and by reducing the risks associated with their use.
These are the plant protection products, i.e. synthetic products used in the fight against bioaggressors. This includes:
- The herbicides (weed control)
- The fungicides (against cryptogamics or fungi)
- The insecticides (against insect pests)
Please note
The certificate is not required for chemical mediators (pheromones, kairomones, natural substances of plant, animal or mineral origin).
You can consult the catalog of pesticides, biocides and fertilizing materials and their authorized uses.
You are affected by the certificate if you use plant protection products (use, sale or purchase) in a professional setting or if you exercise consultancy.
All professional uses of plant protection products are concerned: agricultural or non-agricultural, forestry, industrial, biological, etc.
Examples : Park and public garden, cemetery, sports or recreation ground, road and sidewalk, industrial area, military field, airport, railways, laboratory experimentation, etc.
If you are an approved company and you employ of people buying or using these products in their work, you have the obligation to have a certificate.
This is not the case if you are not subject to approval, as long as each person using the plant protection products holds the certificate.
Examples : Professional in agricultural distribution, service provision and consultancy, manager and salesman in gardening, farmer and agricultural worker, forestry worker, local authority agent.
Please note
Since 2019, amateur gardeners can no longer use or possess plant protection products except for low-risk substances and products authorized for organic farming. These products used by an individual in the context of gardening are not covered by the Certiphyto.
It exists 5 types of certificates :
- Advice on the use of plant protection products
- Free sale, sale and distribution of plant protection products
- Use of plant protection products in the decision-making category in company subject to approval (DESA)
- Use of plant protection products in the decision-making category in company not subject to approval (DENSA)
- Use of plant protection products in the operator category (OPE)
The use of plant protection products in public spaces is restricted.
He is forbidden use or cause to be used plant protection products for the maintenance of green spaces, forests, walks and roads accessible or open to the public.
It is also forbidden use or possession of plant protection products in places frequented by the public or for collective use, including private property.
Your certificate can be obtained in 3 different ways:
- If your diploma less than 5 years old, you don't need to do any testing or training. You can consult the list of diplomas to obtain a certificate.
- If your degree is more than 5 years old but you think you have the required knowledge, you can pass a test (duration: 1 hour 30 minutes) at an authorized training organization.
- Otherwise, you must follow a training (duration: 14 to 28 hours) with an authorized training organization.
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Diploma less than 5 years old
You can consult the list of diplomas to obtain a certificate.
Your degree must be less than 5 years old.
You must apply online by submitting your scanned diploma.
You will receive a response within a maximum of 2 months.
Testing
If your diploma is more than 5 years old but you think you have the required knowledge, you can take a test with an authorized training organization.
It lasts about 1 hour 30 minutes.
You can inquire at the Draaf: titleContent from your region:
Who shall I contact
You must apply online by submitting the certificate of success to the scanned test.
Training
If your diploma is more than 5 years old, you must take training with an authorized training organization.
It lasts between 14 and 28 hours depending on the type of certificate. The training includes an assessment.
You can inquire at the Draaf: titleContent from your region:
Who shall I contact
You must apply for a certificate online by submitting your scanned training certificate.
Each certificate is valid 5 years.
After that, if you still need it, you have to renew it.
FYI
Certificates ‘use of plant protection products in the decision-making category in company not subject to approval (DENSA)’ with an expiry date between 10 April 2024 and 1er may 2025 are valid extended by one year. Example: A DENSA certificate expiring on October 11, 2024 is valid until October 11, 2025.
Conditions for renewal of the certificate
You must obtain the renewal of your certificate before its expiry date, to avoid a period of time between the end of validity of your certificate and the effective date of the renewed certificate.
You can renew within 12 months of the expiry of your certificate.
Your certificate can be renewed in 3 different ways:
- If your diploma less than 5 years old, you don't need to do any testing or training. This diploma must be different of the one recovered under a previous application.
- If your degree is more than 5 years old but you think you have the required knowledge, you can pass a test only (duration: 1 hour 30 minutes) at an authorized training organization.
- Otherwise, you must follow a training (duration: 14 to 28 hours) at an authorized training organization.
For more information for testing or training, you can ask the Draaf: titleContent from your region:
Who shall I contact
Strategic advice requirement for DENSA renewals
Renewal of the 5-year Non-Accreditable company Decision Makers Certificate (DENSA) can only be obtained if you submit a proof that you have been given strategic advice the use of plant protection products.
Strategic advice is required for each company or operation, and may include multiple names. Each person mentioned is considered to have had strategic advice in the context of the renewal of the Certiphyto.
If a strategic advice has been issued to your company or operation, but your name is not on the attestation, you must ask your employer to issue you a attestation that you are working on his farm.
There are several exemptions to the requirement to issue strategic advice in the context of the renewal for DENSA certificates.
Supporting document to be submitted in order to benefit from the exemption | |
|---|---|
You have a certified organic farm, in conversion to organic or high environmental value (level 3) for all its areas | You must have the certification of your farm. If it mentions your name, you do not need any other supporting documents. If your name is not mentioned above, you must have an attestation from your employer that you are working on the farm. |
You have a farm that only uses bio-control products, compound commodity products, low-risk products, or products used to control a regulated organism | You must have available your company’s Plant Protection Product Use Register to justify not using other products. You must have an attestation from your employer that you work for this company. |
You practice in alternative service | You must have an attestation from your employer that you are working in replacement service. |
You have started or started a farm for less than 3 years. You are also affected if you are employed on a holding that meets this criterion. | You must have a return to operation (authorization to operate) or company creation document to attest to the period of less than 3 years. If your name is not indicated on this document, you must have a certificate from your employer stating that you work for this company. |
You are an employee of an accredited company “Good Experimental Practices” (BPE) | You must have at your disposal the certificate proving the approval of your company. If your name is not indicated on this document, you must have a certificate from your employer stating that you work for this company. |
Temporary derogation and obtaining a provisional certificate
A waiver is provided until December 31, 2027. You can obtain a provisional certificate valid for 1 year if you have not carried out your strategic advice. You must provide a proof of appointment with a certified advisor to carry out the strategic advice of your company or farm. You will then receive a one-year Certiphyto, which will give you an extra year to complete your strategic advice.
Please note
The transitional arrangement is extended until 31 December 2028 in Martinique, French Guiana, Réunion, Mayotte, Guadeloupe and Saint-Martin. In addition, you will not no need to send proof of appointment booking if you are domiciled in one of these territories.
At the end of this year, you will need to file a new renewal application. The interim certificate will be extended for an additional 4 years upon presentation of the certificate justifying the issuance of strategic advice.
Renewal process
After completing and validating the training (or diploma or test) and, if you are concerned, obtaining strategic advice, you must apply online.
You will receive a response within a maximum of 2 months.
FYI
Certificates ‘use of plant protection products in the decision-making category in company not subject to approval (DENSA)’ with an expiry date between 10 April 2024 and 1er may 2025 are valid extended by one year. Example: A DENSA certificate expiring on October 11, 2024 is valid until October 11, 2025.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
Adaptation of the rules on certificates of economy for plant protection products
One-year extension of the DENSA certiphytos (expiring until May 2025)
Certiphyto exemption for organic farms, organic conversion and HVE level 3
Certificate renewed 1 year on proof of appointment for delivery of strategic advice
Ministry of Agriculture
National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Safety (ANSES)
Ministry of Agriculture
Ministry of Agriculture
Ministry of Agriculture