In order to be granted an approval for parallel trade, information and documentation must be submitted by the applicant on the basis of which the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) can determine the identity of the product intended for parallel trade relative to the reference product. The applicant must provide the following information:

• Name and address of the applicant
• Name under which the plant protection product intended for parallel trade is to be sold in Germany
• Member State of origin
• Name and registration number of the product in the Member State of origin
• Name and address of the authorisation holder in the Member State of origin
• Name and identification number of the reference product in Germany
• Intended labelling and instructions for use with which the plant protection product intended for parallel trade is to be sold in Germany
• Statement on whether the product will be repackaged or not, and if applicable, information on the size, material and shape of the packaging
• Statement on whether the application is only intended for the applicant's own use and if applicable, the name of the company

• If relevant for the decision and requested explicitly by the BVL:

  • original instructions for use with which the plant protection product intended for parallel trade is sold in the Member State of origin (copy or printout off the Internet is sufficient)
  • German translation of the fields of application and conditions of application determined in the Member State of origin
  • original container or a sample of the product intended for parallel trade

All the points mentioned are summarised in an application form which can be retrieved in pdf and rtf format.

The product for which an approval is applied for is allocated a number (e.g. GP006789-00/001) so that it can be identified easily. The 1st to 8th digit correspond with the registration number of the reference product. The last three numbers are consecutive numbers and are unique.

The procedure for granting an approval for parallel trade involves costs. The fees range from 190 to 910 euros. The fee due is calculated for each individual case on the basis of the actual amount of work involved.

According to the legal provisions, the procedure takes 45 working days as from receipt of a complete application. If additional information is required from the Member State of origin, the time involved to acquire this is not counted in with the 45 days.

It is possible to change the product's trade name or the packaging used after the approval has been granted for parallel trade. The corresponding form for amending the application can be retrieved from the right-hand column. Changes involve costs.

As from 1 March 2013 the transfer of an approval granted for parallel trade to another company is no longer possible. The main reason for this is the aspect of legal clarity. As has been seen in the past, in the case of transferred approvals, goods from the old and the new holder can be on the market at trade levels and also held by the operator at the same time. As from the time of the legal effectiveness of an approval transfer however, the approval no longer justifies placing the product from the original approval holder on the market or using it. In the past, this has sometimes resulted in legal uncertainty for suppliers, users and inspectors as to whether it is still legal to place old products on the market and use them. In addition, the flow of information on corresponding changes in approvals always takes a certain amount of time, and based on experience reaches those concerned at different times. In contrast to these disadvantages with regard to legal certainty, there are no unacceptable disadvantages for applicants if the transfer of approvals is no longer possible. The granting of an approval for parallel trade is a simplified procedure which can be completed within 45 working days and the costs involved are not high. It is therefore reasonable to expect the applicant to apply for a new approval rather than for a transfer of an approval.