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EU Directive Means Major Changes in the Use of Pesticides in the UK

The EU Directive on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides was passed last September and will become law in the UK in September 2011. This will fundamentally affect the way we use pesticides, even though the UK’s controls in this area are far and above those that exist in some EU countries. Written by Neil Huck, BALI Technical Director

Defra and the HSE published a wide ranging consultation document in February 2010 on the proposals for the UK legislation and the land-based sector, amongst other stakeholders, was asked for its comments. BALI members responded magnificently by the closing date of 4^th May and we wait to hear the results of our members’ and others’ contributions. There is other proposed and existing legislation that will also affect the use of pesticides, including the Water Framework Directive and the Plant Protection Products regulations review.

How is this going to affect you and your business?

1. A National Action Plan to reduce the use of chemical pesticides will include monitoring the levels of pesticide usage in our particular area of operation.

The government must show a reduction in levels of usage over the next four years.

2. Training and certification of users: Currently we have the system of operator certification for life. This will probably change to a three year operator certificate with CPD or re-certification as a requirement. Professional pesticides will be only supplied to current and up-to-date certificate holders. Supervisors, managers and client specifiers will also be required to hold a recognised certificate with CPD as a requirement. A new set of qualifications is being developed in readiness for the legislation. The Protection of Water, Environment & Recommendations (POWER) qualification is being used as the basis of the new certificate.

3. Application to or near water will be controlled by the current LERAP (Low Environment Risk Assessment for Pesticides) system, buffer zones, and by agreement with the Environment Agency on application by the land owner or contractor.

4. The use of pesticides in sensitive areas: This covers application to public open space, sports facilities, schools, hospital and health care facilities, application to hard surfaces and public access areas such as car parks, streets and shopping centres. The use of pesticides is to be severely restricted and could be prohibited entirely if monitoring shows problems. The initial main implication is that a risk assessment must be carried out prior to any use of pesticides in these areas to highlight any risk to human health or the environment.

5. An integrated approach to pest control must in place by 2014. This means using alternative means of weed control that excludes the use of chemicals. Defra are currently trialling the alternatives with a local authority; these are: mechanical, flame, steam, hot foam and hot water systems. The trials in the past have shown these to be very expensive with a 40-60 per cent increase in costs. These systems are already in wide use in some EU countries, with varying success, but with large additional costs when compared with chemical pesticides use.

6. The Water Framework Directive will result in increased monitoring of rivers for levels of pesticides, and in particular glyphosate as the Environment Agency is now monitoring levels for the first time. If levels increase we could see restrictions on the use of this chemical with obvious major implications for our industry.

7. The Plant Protection Products regulations review is resulting in the loss of many herbicides, including many residual herbicides. The review will continue for the next few years and has already resulted in the loss of Paraquat, sodium chlorate, Diuron, and Casoron G.

The results of the Defra/HSE consultation, to which many BALI contractors have contributed, will be published later this year and I will be able to update you then.

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