Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

In adopting the sixth environmental action plan in 2002, the European Parliament and the Council agreed an approach involving implementation and revision of the relevant legal framework for pesticides, through the development of a thematic strategy on the sustainable use of pesticides. The thematic strategy is designed to revise and enhance the existing legislative framework and to target the use phase of plant protection products.

The objectives of the strategy set out in the communication are to encourage rational and responsible use of pesticides, as well as appropriate crop and soil management practices; to improve the behaviour of pesticide users, by ensuring better training and education; and to improve the quality of pesticide application equipment to optimise the effectiveness of treatment, while minimising adverse impact on human health and the environment. Implementation of the strategy has resulted in the European Commission submitting proposals for a directive establishing a framework for Community action to achieve sustainable use of pesticides; a regulation of the European Council and of the Parliament concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market; and a regulation of the European Council and of the Parliament concerning statistics on plant protection products.

The main provisions of the directive on sustainable use of pesticides address the establishment of national action plans to set objectives to reduce risks; an obligatory system of training and certification for professional users of pesticides; inspection of application equipment; prohibition of aerial spraying with possible derogations; specific measures to protect the aquatic environment; designation of areas of greatly reduced or zero pesticide use; handling and storage; integrated pest management; and establishment of harmonised risk indicators for pesticides.

On its adoption and implementation, the proposal will lead to a wide range of additional controls to enhance further the degree of protection afforded those distributing, handling and using plant protection products; a requirement to prepare national action plans to reduce the risks associated with use of plant protection products, involving a systematic and co-ordinated programme to reduce further the degree of risk arising for the environment; and a requirement for deployment of additional resources, by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and its associated agencies, to give effect to the range of additional measures introduced.

The proposed directive on sustainable use of pesticides is progressive and ambitious. Adoption of this proposal will further enhance the high level of protection afforded to humans, animals and the environment already achieved through the current regulatory system for pesticides. It will serve to limit the use of plant protection products to situations where their use is essential and will extend the range of controls in place governing the use of pesticides.

During negotiations, the Department has ensured that any additional controls proposed are justified and would make a real contribution to the sustainability of environmentally sensitive agricultural production in Ireland. In this regard, the issue of "use reduction" targets in the proposals presented difficulties in an Irish context. While the directive will not place obligations on landowners per se, it will place obligations on the users of pesticides to acquire training and certification, to have their application equipment tested and certified and to implement integrated pest management. The directive has gone through its Second Reading in the European Parliament and Council and is due for final decision at Council in March 2009.

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