The resent invention relates to the use of phenylacetamides as crop protection agents, to novel crop protection compositions comprising, as active compounds, phenylacetamides, and to novel phenylacetamides. The present invention provides the use of phenylacetamides of the formula I as crop protection agents having herbicidal and/or fungicidal action, where the radicals have the following meanings: A is an unsubstituted or substituted aryl radical; R1 is an unsubstituted or substituted aryl radical; R2, R3 are hydrogen, C1-C6-alkyl, C2-C6-alkenyl, C3-C7-cycloalkyl, C1-C6-alkylaryl, which may be unsubstituted or partially or fully halogenated or may carry one to three substituents selected from the group consisting of C1-C4-alkoxy, C1-C4-haloalkoxy, C1-C4-alkylthio, C3-C7-cycloalkyl, C5-C7-cycloalkenyl; R4 is hydrogen or C1-C6-alkyl; R5 is hydroxyl, C1-C4-alkoxy, aryl-C1-C4-alkoxy, aryloxy, and their agriculturally useful salts.