The European Commission is set to announce a new regulation aimed at pulling member states better into line with the pesticide reduction targets laid out in the Farm-to-Fork strategy.

It is to build on the Sustainable Use Directive (SUD).

The sustainable use of plant-protection products regulation (SUR) has been drafted to replace the SUD currently in effect, with the law to lay out “clear and uniform rules” on pesticide policies, according to draft Commission documents seen by the Irish Farmers Journal.

The law will seek to “remedy” the problems associated with implementing targets on lowering spray usage identified in the SUD, with Brussels to crack down on inconsistencies between different member states and any gaps in the implementation of the current SUD regime.

Ireland has been one of the member states making progress on the target of cutting pesticide usage by 50% by 2030, with recently released Commission data showing the use of sprays down 24% in 2020 on the baseline figures.

Changes

The regulation will necessitate the establishment of an electronic national pesticide database that details farmers’ application of pesticides, with farmers required to maintain these electronic records for three years.

Farmer users of pesticide products will have to show records that all integrated pest management strategies for controlling pests and diseases were considered before sprays are used.

Integrated pest management practices listed in the new regulation include stale seedbed preparation, the protection of beneficial organisms and the use of resistant crop varieties.

Ireland and the 26 other EU member states will be obliged to draw up a detailed national action plan outlining the measures it intends on taking to achieve its pesticide reduction target while including any links between the pesticide plan and any “relevant parts of CAP strategic plan”.

A list of the five crops that “most strongly influenced the trend in the use and risk” associated with sprays in recent years will also have to be drawn up by member states.

The content of the regulation is subject to amendment by the European Parliament.

The law cites eco schemes, investment aid and farm advisery services as areas where CAP cash can be used to help farmers transition from the SUD to the more stringent pesticide regulation.

Comments made in the regulation also suggests that the EU could be moving closer to permitting the use of drone technology for applying pesticides but that a period of at least three years will be needed for scientific expertise on the impacts of such sprayers to be appropriately assessed.

Drone-mounted sprayers could decrease overall pesticide usage, should the technology allow for a better targeting of pesticides to areas requiring the products, the regulation states.