To apply plant protection products for professional use, you need a licence proving that you know how to do it. It is no minor formality: without it you cannot buy or apply those products, and it is one of the first things checked in an inspection. This article summarises what the regulations say about the licence, which level each person on the farm needs, how long it lasts and what to do so that yours does not expire.
Which regulation governs it
The professional plant protection product user licence is regulated in articles 17 to 20 and in annex IV of Real Decreto 1311/2012 (the Spanish Royal Decree on the sustainable use of plant protection products), of 14 September, on the sustainable use of plant protection products. Under article 17, since 26 November 2015 professional users and sellers of plant protection products must hold a licence proving they have the appropriate knowledge to carry out their activity.
The licence is managed by the autonomous communities (Spain's regional governments): they issue the licences, authorise the training bodies and set the specific procedure. That is why practical details, such as where to take the course or which documents to submit, can vary from one region to another.
The four levels
Article 18 establishes four levels of competence:
| Level | Who it is for |
|---|---|
| Basic | Auxiliary staff for ground and aerial treatments, and farmers who carry out treatments on their own farm without auxiliary staff, using products that are not, and do not generate gases, classified as toxic, very toxic or fatal |
| Qualified | Those in charge of ground treatments, including non-agricultural ones; farmers who carry out treatments with auxiliary staff; and staff who sell products for professional use |
| Fumigator | Those who carry out treatments with gases or with products that generate them, classified as toxic, very toxic or fatal. You must already hold the basic or the qualified level |
| Pilot applicator | Those who apply products from aircraft, in addition to complying with air navigation regulations |
The qualified level does not authorise treatments that require the fumigator or pilot applicator level. The regulations also provide that certain university or vocational training qualifications can exempt you from taking the qualified-level course; check with your region which qualifications are accepted.
Example on a farm
For example, on a farm where the owner organises the treatments and two workers operate the sprayer, you would normally expect the owner to hold the qualified level, because they treat with auxiliary staff, and the two workers to hold at least the basic one. If you are in any doubt about the level each person needs, check with your region's plant health service.
Validity and renewal
Under article 20, the licence is issued by the competent body of the autonomous community, is valid throughout Spain and lasts ten years, unless it is withdrawn earlier because the holder no longer meets the requirements or because of an infringement. The same article provides for a system for updating training.
How it is renewed depends on each region. Some require a refresher course and set a deadline for applying for renewal before expiry; others allow renewal for a period after expiry and, once that period has passed, require you to repeat the full training. For example, the Junta de Castilla y León and the Govern de les Illes Balears publish their own requirements on their online portals. Check on your region's portal which deadline and which course apply to you.
The sensible approach is not to leave it to the last minute:
- Note down the licence expiry date for each person on the farm.
- Review it far enough in advance to take the refresher course, if your region requires one.
- Keep a copy of the current licence of each applicator.
The licence and the treatment record
The licence does not stand alone. The farm's plant protection treatment record, regulated in article 16 and annex III of the same royal decree, includes among its general data the licensed people working on the farm and, for each treatment, who applied it. This means that every recorded treatment must be linked to a person with a valid licence of the right level.
Mistakes to avoid:
- Someone without a licence applying products, even on a one-off basis.
- A licence expiring without anyone noticing.
- The record not identifying the applicator of each treatment.
- The licence level not matching what the person does, for example a farmer with auxiliary staff who only holds the basic level.
- The service companies you hire not providing proof of their applicators' licences.
If you contract treatments out to a service company, ask for the treatment record to identify the applicator and keep the contract. Article 16 includes contracts among the documents that must be kept for at least three years alongside the record.
This article summarises the national regulations in force on the publication date. For specific cases, such as the recognition of qualifications or the renewal deadlines in your region, always consult the official source.
Who carried out each treatment, in Agrimaps
Agrimaps gives you precise control over which technical operations have been carried out on your farm and who is responsible for each one. Technical operations tracking records treatments and irrigation and fertilising orders, and with one click it generates the field logbook in the format required by the authorities, with the SIGPAC plots imported from the online register.
So, when you are asked who applied a treatment on a plot, the answer is in the record. You can see everything the application does on the features page or find answers on the FAQ page.
