| Title of measure
| Description of measure
| Key Dates | Risks & Opportunities for users of plant protection products
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| 1 | EU Directive (91/414/EEC) on the placing on the market of plant protection products and UK pesticide regulation
| Concerned with regulation to ensure safety of products to people and to the environment. Sets detailed requirements for regulators and for companies wishing to market plant protection products.
| 2004/5 proposals to revise 91/414
2008 scheduled end of review programme
| Users need to follow legal requirements .
Loss of valuable products as a result of EU review process.
More even availability of plant protection products across EU.
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| 2 | Local Environment Risk Assessment for Pesticides (LERAP)
| Two Defra (PSD) schemes - one for broadcast air-assisted sprayers, one for horizontal boom sprayers, which allow farmers to reduce buffer zones laid down to protect water
| | Allows reduced pesticide buffer zones according to local circumstances.
Requirement to protect water courses from pesticide contamination by keeping pesticide sprays out of water
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| 3 | Code of Practice for the Safe Use of Pesticides on Farms and Holdings
| Statutory Code giving practical advice on storing, using and disposing of plant protection products
| 2005 | Code being revised to cover amenity and forestry uses of plant protection products as well as on-farm use.
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| 4 | EU and UK legislation on pesticide maximum residue levels
| Set maximum residue levels for active substances in a range of crops, foods and feeding stuffs.
| 2006 consolidating EU regulation due for adoption
| Pesticide users need to comply with good agricultural practice.
Potential loss of valuable products as a result of MRL setting exercise.
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| 5 | Proposed EU thematic strategy for the sustainable use of plant protection products
| Package of measures to control risks from the use of plant protection products
| Proposals now expected end 2005
| Not possible to be precise at this stage. Those complying with current legal requirements plus Voluntary Initiative measures may find there is little more that they might do.
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| 6 | Food Standards Agency (FSA) action plan to minimise pesticide residues in food
| FSA has developed an action plan to reduce residues in food. This will focus on developing best practice guidance and considering, with stakeholders, in particular assurance schemes, how this might contribute to existing pesticide minimisation initiatives
| Action Plan agreed May 2004
| Voluntary measures to reduce pesticide residues in food
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| Title of measure
| Description of measure
| Key Dates | Risks & Opportunities for users of plant protection products
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| 7 | EU Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) and Decision establishing the list of priority substances (2455/2001/EC)
| Requires all waters to reach at least "good status" by 2015.
Establishes river basin district structure within which demanding ecological objectives will be set and decisions made about measures to tackle pollution.
Requires progressive reduction of pollution from priority substances and phase out of priority hazardous substances.
| 2004-2015 | There will be stricter controls and/or increased stewardship to limit pesticide movement to water. Measures will vary from area to area according to pressure in each River Basin District.
Will lead to a reduction in the range of pesticides.
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| 8 | Proposed Groundwater Daughter Directive
| Proposed directive for assessing compliance with good groundwater status.
| Draft issued 2003. Existing EU law will be repealed in 2013
| Expected that the measures will entail more stringent controls over pesticide use.
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| 9 | Catchment Sensitive Farming
| This is a project to design and implement measures to reduce diffuse water pollution from agriculture and help achieve requirements under Water Framework Directive
| Third consultation launched 17 June 2004
| Main focus of Defra consultations is nutrients. However, includes some general measures (e.g. local advisory services) that could help meet pesticide requirements of water legislation.
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| 10 | Diffuse Water Pollution from Non-Agriculture Sources
| Measures to reduce diffuse water pollution from non-agricultural sources
| | Currently under development, the proposed strategy could possibly lead to further restrictions and voluntary schemes to control pesticide use in the leisure industry, amenity sector, on roads, rail tracks and runways and for domestic and garden use.
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| 11 | The Convention for the Protection of the North East Atlantic Ocean (the OSPAR Convention)
| Agreement to prevent pollution of the maritime environment by continuously reducing discharges and losses of hazardous substances with the ultimate aim of achieving concentrations close to zero.
| | Six pesticides have been identified for priority action. To date, the main action recommended has been to use EU legislation to achieve the necessary controls.
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| 12 | Habitats Directive and Birds Directive
| Habitats Directive provides for the designation of Special Areas of Conservation while the Birds Directive provides for the classification of Special Protection Areas. Together these are known as Natura 2000 sites and are subject to various conservation requirements.
| | Consent to spray in these areas must be sought from English Nature (and SNH as appropriate) to limit chemical damage.
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| 13 | Waste Framework Directive
| Controls over the disposal of agricultural waste to protect human health and the environment
| 2004 | New approaches required for dealing with surplus pesticides and used containers
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| 14 | Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH)
Current UK and EU chemicals policy
| Proposed EU regulatory framework for chemicals. Manufacturers and importers will have to gather information on their substances, which will help manage substances safely, and submit the information to a central data base. More hazardous materials will face higher hurdles.
A range of EU legislation exists to assess risks posed by chemicals and take action required. Much of this is too slow and fails to address long term risk properly. UK policy looks to identify and act quickly (on a voluntary basis) against chemicals of particular concern.
| Proposal issued 2003. Once agreed, registration and other requirements begin to take effect quickly
| REACH proposals may lead to higher prices if testing and registration costs are passed to users. Proposals may also result in some substances and preparations being withdrawn if safety issues are identified or if compliance costs make production unprofitable.
Need to reformulate products if constituents withdrawn from use.
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| 15 | UK Biodiversity Action Plan
| The UK Biodiversity Action Plan is a series of plans (with associated biodiversity targets) to protect wildlife plant and animal species
| | Action to address pesticide issues is a feature of Biodiversity Action Plans for many farmland bird and plant species. For example, the BAP for the corn bunting proposes the following actions "Seek uptake of a more cautious and targeted use of pesticides and fertilisers on farmland to reduce the impacts on potential food sources for the corn bunting. This could include encouraging integrated crop management, organic farming and the more widespread adoption of initiatives such as the recently begun Scottish 'TIBRE' project."
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| 16 | Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004
| A new general biodiversity duty will apply to all public bodies and office holders. The duty will oblige public authorities to "further the conservation of biodiversity" in the course of exercising their functions
| | Under this legislation, biodiversity issues will be integrated into agri-environment schemes, measures to protect water and so on. This may impact on the future use of pesticides
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| 17 | Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000
| The Act, amongst other things, places duties on Government Departments to have regard to conserving biological diversity
| | Under the Act it is important to ensure that the future use of pesticides does not lead to further declines in, or recovery of, biodiversity
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| Title of measure
| Description of measure
| Key Dates | Risks & Opportunities for users of plant protection products
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| 18 | English Rural Development Programme
| The ERDP contributes to the delivery of the Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food by helping farmers and foresters to respond better to consumer requirements and become more competitive, diverse, flexible and environmentally responsible.
| | Components of the scheme deal with pesticide use
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| 19 | A Forward Strategy for Scottish Agriculture
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The Strategy sets out where the Scottish Executive' in conjunction with stakeholders believes agriculture should be going and provides some action points for moving towards a better future for agriculture in Scotland
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| Established in response to the Forward Strategy by identifying the environmental issues that could impact on farming and the food industry over the next 5-10 years
| | Action 43 -The Prevention of Environmental Pollution from Agricultural Activities Code offers practical guidance on farming in ways which minimise risks to the environment. The Code includes guidance to help farmers tackle water pollution and waste which will have implications for pesticide use/disposal
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| Priority area of diffuse pollution identified. Promotion of the PEPFAA Code in relation to the management of pesticides
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| 20 | CAP Reform: Set-Aside
| Compulsory set-aside is retained at 10% but switches to a permanent non-rotational basis (except for duly justified, principally environmental, reasons). There are options for the management of set-aside land, in particular environmental criteria for allowing a minimum strip width of 5 metres. Set-aside land has to comply with wider cross-compliance conditions.
| | New set-aside rules could offer farmers an incentive to have no-spray, or much reduced spraying, strip widths on their land. This could enable improved protection of water and of biodiversity in and around field margins
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| 21 | CAP Reform: Cross Compliance
| To get the single payment, farmers will have to comply with the requirements of a range of EC legislation, including Directive 91/414/EEC, and keep their land in good agricultural and environmental condition.
| | In England cross-compliance requirements will include uncultivated/untreated areas next to living boundaries such as hedges and ditches. There are potential benefits for water/biodiversity but costs for farmers.
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| 22 | Forest Stewardship Council: Chemical Pesticides in Certified Forests
| A good practice guide for forest managers to promote the development and adoption of environmentally friendly non-chemical methods of pest management and the avoidance of the use of chemical pesticides in managed forests
| | The guide covers good practice for the use of herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and rodenticides in managed forests, pesticide minimisation and integrated pest management. The guide also prohibits the use of certain pesticides in forestry.
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| 23 | Organic Farming Regulations (EEC No. 2092/91)
| EC regulations laying down standards for the organic production of agricultural products and foodstuffs. A Defra funded scheme is in place to encourage the expansion of organic production in England
| | The regulations lay down, amongst other things, those substances, micro-organisms and substances from traditional use in organic farming that are permitted for use in organic production
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| 24 | Agri-Environment Schemes: land and project based schemes to promote environmentally sensitive farming practices.
| Defra schemes include Countryside Stewardship and the Environmentally Sensitive Areas scheme. These will form the basis of a new Higher Level Scheme to be introduced early in 2005. There will also be a new Entry Level Stewardship Scheme to cover most of the farmed area.
| 2005 introduction of new Entry and Higher Level Schemes
| A number of options under the Entry Level Scheme include restrictions of use of herbicides in particular. Crop Protection Management Plans are also encouraged as are management options such as Cereal Field Margins that may compensate for intensive practices in crop.
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| 25 | Codes of Good Agricultural Practice
| Advice on minimising risks of pollution to soil and water and air
| | Provides practical guidance on storing, applying and disposing of pesticides so as to protect soil, water and air.
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| 26 | Whole Farm Approach
| Defra initiative to integrate farm regulation and business management to minimise unnecessary bureaucracy
| Pilot November 2004, rollout 2007
| Not obvious at this stage but proposals may impact on pesticide regulation including use
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| 27 | Environmental Management Systems for Farming
| Environment Agency Scheme for integrating environmental management into farming
| 2007 | A system for farmers to use to help reduce pollution. Possible implications for pesticide use but these are not yet known
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| Title of measure
| Description of measure
| Key Dates | Risks & Opportunities for users of plant protection products
|
| 28 | The Voluntary Initiative for pesticides
| An industry-led 5 year programme (started in 2001) of measures to reduce environmental damage caused by pesticides. Key measures include Crop Protection Management Plans, National Register of Sprayer Operators and the National Sprayer Testing Scheme.
| Initiative is due to finish in 2006
| Wider adoption of good practice including new measures such as skylark squares and text messaging services to farmers.
Consequent benefits for biodiversity and water quality.
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| 29 | Farm Assurance Schemes
| Industry-funded schemes to assure standards for food produce e.g. Red Tractor label
| ongoing | Various schemes contain crop protocols which stipulate which pesticides can be used and at what dose rates, harvest intervals etc. All the protocols embrace the application of Integrated Crop Management
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| 30 | Retailer protocols
| Contracts between retailers and growers which require growers to follow strictly defined practices.
| ongoing | Agreements often include permissive lists of those pesticides that may be used and restrictions on use.
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| 31 | Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF)
| One of several organisations set up to promote and encourage the uptake of Integrated Farm Management (IFM) techniques
| | LEAF's Integrated Farm Management (IFM) techniques will influence pesticide use. In addition to LEAF there are a number of similar self-assessment environmental audits such as the Farm and Wildlife Advisory Group and the National Trust
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