The European Commission has launched a public consultation on the sustainable use of pesticides directive.

The aim of the consultation is to discuss the achievements of the sustainable use directive (SUD), along with the problems surrounding implementation, enforcement and application.

Most importantly, the consultation aims to look at possible ways forward and their impact on the industry.

So far, the SUD has seen the implementation of things such as sprayer operator training and sprayer testing, while IPM records are a routine part of cross-compliance.

Farmers using pesticides as part of their work can provide practical information for this questionnaire to suggest how the directive can be improved.

Consultation details

The consultation is open until 12 April 2021 and the aim is to “provide the stakeholders involved in the application of the sustainable use directive and the wider public with the opportunity to share their experiences” and to “make the directive work more efficiently, or better achieve its objectives”.

The questionnaire has been developed to suit participation from “experts” and “non-experts”.

Participants should note that they have to register before taking the questionnaire and all contributions will be published online.

It is important for farmers to contribute to consultation processes such as this, as every submission can affect future policy and regulations.

You can follow this link to complete the questionnaire.