Terminology

[Alessandro Chiodini (ICPS)]

Which is the difference between the term pesticide and the term plant protection product?

[Finbarr O'Regan (PCS)]

Plant protection products are specifically used on plants, they can be pesticides, fungicides herbicides.
Pesticides is a broader term used to describe the products used in treating for insects etc. in plants, animals, storage areas etc.

[Dan O'Sullivan (PCS)]

A pesticide is the active chemical compound which is incorporated into a product to control a pest.

A plant protection product is such a product, containing a pesticide, which is used to control pests in the Agriculture, horticulture production.

[Paul Hamey (PSD)]

Dear Alessandro,

Pesticides are chemical or biological agents or mixtures of such
substances that prevent, destroy, repel, or mitigate pests. Pests in
this context are insects, vertebrates (e.g. rodents or rabbits),
unwanted plants, fungi and plant diseases, or microorganisms. The
products involved are insecticides, rodenticides, herbicides, and
fungicides.

However, because pesticides are regulated, it is necessary to have legal
definitions of pesticides. Within the EU pesticides are actually
regulated under two different directives, Council Directive 91/414/EEC
concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market and
the Directive 98/8/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council
concerning the placing of biocidal products on the market.

Directive 91/414/EEC defines plant protection products as active
substances and preparations containing one or more active substances,
put up in the form in which they are supplied to the user, intended to:

protect plants or plant products against all harmful organisms or
prevent the action of such organisms, in so far as such substances or
preparations are not otherwise defined below;

influence the life processes of plants, other than as a nutrient,
(e.g.growth regulators);

preserve plant products, in so far as such substances or products are
not subject to special Council of Commission provisions on
preservatives;

destroy undesired plants; or

destroy parts of plants, check or prevent undesired growth of plants;

A simpler way of thinking of this is plant protection products are
pesticides (insectides, herbicides, fungicides, and plant growth
regulators) used in agriculture/horticulture, gardening or weed control.

While the Biocides Directive defines a biocidal product as:

Active substances and preparations containing one or more active
substances, put up in the form in which they are supplied to the user,
intended to destroy, deter, render harmless, prevent the action of, or
otherwise exert a controlling effect on any harmful organism by chemical
or biological means."

This Directive has a wide scope, with 23 product types: which includes a
pest control group which traditionally may be considered to be
pesticides:

rodenticides for the control of mice, rats or other rodents; avicides
for control of birds; molluscicides for the control of molluscs, e.g.
snails that may clog pipes; piscicides for the control of fish; excludes
products for the treatment of fish diseases; insecticides, acaricides
and to control other arthropods e.g. insects arachnids and crustaceans;
repellents or attractants used to control, harmful organisms
(invertebrates such as fleas, vertebrates such as birds), by repelling
or attracting, including those that are used for human or veterinary
hygiene either directly or indirectly.

The Biocides Directive does not apply to certain products subject to
other European legislation including plant protection products, human
medicines, veterinary medicines, medical devices or cosmetics.

Regards

Paul