Assessing good experimental practices (GEP)

GEP approval is issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, through Cofrac, which is responsible for auditing the candidate body. Objective: ensuring compliance with the GEP requirements. This approval is granted for a period of five years, for one or more sectors of activity, and for one or more sites.
In concrete terms, the "Requirements for good experimental practices" from the French Ministry of Agriculture defines "the mode of organisation of the experimentation networks and the conditions under which tests are planned, conducted, inspected, recorded and exploited with a view to obtaining reliable and comparable data". Accordingly, Cofrac assesses and inspects various aspects including the competence of the personnel, the equipment used or the protocols followed by the inspection body, on behalf of the DGAL.

"Officially-recognised tests": what are these?

According to the Rural Code (article R 253-14), "officially-recognised" tests are those conducted by a natural person or legal entity approved to this end by the Ministry of Agriculture, and which are subject to declarations to this ministry. These tests, which benefit from official recognition, serve as a basis for compiling biological records in the framework of the authorisation process for marketing phytosanitary products.

Good experimental practices: what is the role of Cofrac?

Cofrac is responsible for reviewing applications for assessment of conformity with the GEP principles but also for monitoring the bodies that have already obtained this approval. Our teams therefore manage the renewal of approvals and their extension to new sectors of activity and/or new experimentation units. For this, we organise assessment visits and guarantee the qualification and follow-up of the technical experts and assessment team managers conducting them.