Audit of the efficiency of plant protection product authorisation
Bern, 12.10.2026 — A plant protection product (PPP) must be authorised before it can be used in Switzerland. Five federal units from three departments are responsible for the authorisation procedure. The Federal Office for Agriculture, Agroscope, the Federal Office for the Environment, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs and the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO), led by the FSVO Authorisation Office, assess various aspects of PPP efficacy and risk. At the end of 2025, the Swiss authorisation procedure was further aligned with that of the European Union.
The Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) examined whether the authorisation procedures are conducted efficiently and whether the fees sufficiently cover the costs incurred. The audit identified areas for improvement: structures and processes are too complex, the resulting backlog is too high and fees are too low.