The EU recently adopted a framework directive on the sustainable use of pesticides (Directive 2009/128/EC of 21 October 2009). Member states must produce National Action Plans (NAP) to be transposed into national law by 2012.

This law comes when member states and regions are facing several environmental, health biodiversity and climate change challenges. Since the pesticides NAP overlaps with existing measures and programmes, here is an excellent opportunity to make NAP part of the overall environmental and health national plan fulfilling various real challenges while ensuring compliance with EU law.

Though, a successful implementation takes that all EU member states must be proactive in making change happen, for while several countries have come up with promising initiatives for reducing pesticide dependency, none has yet delivered a complete NAP as foreseen in the new directive.

The most important measures to reduce pesticide dependency in accordance with the new framework directive, beyond setting quantitative use reductions, are:

1. Implementating IPM, for all EU farmers to apply from 2014, so ”professional users of pesticides switch to practices and products with the lowest risk to human health and the environment among those available for the same pest problem.” (Article 14.1). The importance is to give priority to preventative elements
2. Giving priority to non-chemical alternatives ”Member states shall take all necessary measures to promote low pesticide-input pest management, giving wherever possible priority to non-chemical methods.”(Article 14)
3. Ensure that pesticide use is minimised or prohibited in specific areas (Article 12)
4. Establishing appropriately-sized buffer zones to protect non-target aquatic organisms and safeguard zones for surface and groundwater used for the abstraction of drinking water, where pesticides must not be used or stored (Article 11)

Useful documents

15 December 2010 Joint Press Release
More guidance for countries on EU pesticide legislation needed
PAN Europe, HEAL.

- letter Dalli
- letter member states
- Annex letter member States

NAP Best Practice
Sustainable use of pesticides: Implementing a National Action Plan
A guide to assist and support EU member states in producing their National Action Plans (NAP) as required under the Sustainable Use Directive.

Download 2009 baseline.

PAN Europe Workshop

• National Action Plans, Integrated Pest Management and the Common Agricultural Policy
• Sick of Pesticides Workshop (30 November 2010)
• Best practice National Action Plans (NAP) – and then what? (28 October 2010)

How pesticides are used
Aerial spraying in France: Forests And Pesticides Report
- in English (word document
- in French (word document)

Where pesticides are used
Pesticides - a toxic education? a survey of pesticides in UK schools (pdf)

Finalised NAPs

• Danish Agreement on Green Growth (word document)
• German NAP
• French NAP
• Swedish NAP and SSNC comments

Pesticide Use Reduction Strategies:
Six Success Stories (launches seperate website)