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EU Directives.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 February 2009

Wednesday, 11 February 2009

Ceisteanna (18)

Sean Sherlock

Ceist:

65 Deputy Seán Sherlock asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the position regarding the pesticides directive; the obligations landowners will have regarding legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5074/09]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí ó Béal (5 píosaí cainte)

In adopting the sixth environmental action plan in 2002, the European Parliament and the Council agreed an approach involving implementation and revision of the relevant legal framework for pesticides, through the development of a thematic strategy on the sustainable use of pesticides. The thematic strategy is designed to revise and enhance the existing legislative framework and to target the use phase of plant protection products.

The objectives of the strategy set out in the communication are to encourage rational and responsible use of pesticides, as well as appropriate crop and soil management practices; to improve the behaviour of pesticide users, by ensuring better training and education; and to improve the quality of pesticide application equipment to optimise the effectiveness of treatment, while minimising adverse impact on human health and the environment. Implementation of the strategy has resulted in the European Commission submitting proposals for a directive establishing a framework for Community action to achieve sustainable use of pesticides; a regulation of the European Council and of the Parliament concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market; and a regulation of the European Council and of the Parliament concerning statistics on plant protection products.

The main provisions of the directive on sustainable use of pesticides address the establishment of national action plans to set objectives to reduce risks; an obligatory system of training and certification for professional users of pesticides; inspection of application equipment; prohibition of aerial spraying with possible derogations; specific measures to protect the aquatic environment; designation of areas of greatly reduced or zero pesticide use; handling and storage; integrated pest management; and establishment of harmonised risk indicators for pesticides.

On its adoption and implementation, the proposal will lead to a wide range of additional controls to enhance further the degree of protection afforded those distributing, handling and using plant protection products; a requirement to prepare national action plans to reduce the risks associated with use of plant protection products, involving a systematic and co-ordinated programme to reduce further the degree of risk arising for the environment; and a requirement for deployment of additional resources, by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and its associated agencies, to give effect to the range of additional measures introduced.

The proposed directive on sustainable use of pesticides is progressive and ambitious. Adoption of this proposal will further enhance the high level of protection afforded to humans, animals and the environment already achieved through the current regulatory system for pesticides. It will serve to limit the use of plant protection products to situations where their use is essential and will extend the range of controls in place governing the use of pesticides.

During negotiations, the Department has ensured that any additional controls proposed are justified and would make a real contribution to the sustainability of environmentally sensitive agricultural production in Ireland. In this regard, the issue of "use reduction" targets in the proposals presented difficulties in an Irish context. While the directive will not place obligations on landowners per se, it will place obligations on the users of pesticides to acquire training and certification, to have their application equipment tested and certified and to implement integrated pest management. The directive has gone through its Second Reading in the European Parliament and Council and is due for final decision at Council in March 2009.

The Minister neglected to mention that before the Common Position was reached, it was proposed to reduce the quantities of pesticides supplied or used by 50%. That proposal did not take into account the national plant health requirement to have certain substances available. Similarly, it did not take into consideration the properties of the substances concerned. Will a list of the specific pesticides that are to be prohibited as a result of the directive, or the Common Position that has been reached, be provided? The Minister mentioned that people will have to be trained to use pesticides. Will such training comprise another layer of bureaucracy to be dealt with by landowners and farmers before they can set about their daily business of growing crops? What is the Irish position on this directive? I accept that the directive is specifically aimed at protecting human and animal health, which is laudable. We need to find out, within the remit of Question Time, what impact the directive will have on farmers and landowners. Will a list of pesticides be prescribed?

Deputy Sherlock's questions relate to the regulation rather than the directive. Ireland, like other European countries, will have to draw up an action plan. With regard to the regulation, we oppose the proposal to introduce hazard-based cut-off criteria for the approval of substances. The Deputy asked about training. People will be trained to apply and use pesticides properly, in line with best practice. Certain forms of machinery will be used to apply various pesticides at different times. Public commentary on this issue often causes confusion when people refer to the "directive" rather than the "regulation". I understand that until now, the approval phase involved various products being deemed to be suitable for use on land. The residue regulations provide for consumer protection. The directive and regulation under discussion will address a lacuna that exists in the use phase, when a particular pesticide is applied. While Ireland and Britain are often on different sides of the argument at meetings of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council, we have been ad idem with Britain and Hungary on these measures. We have opposed some of the proposals because we believe we should have had an opportunity to undertake an impact assessment of them. We have not received such a concession from the European Commission.

When Ministers speak about EU legislation, they have a tendency to use words like "lacuna". The Minister's response was somewhat confusing. I will try to interpret it as best I can when I read the Official Report. If there is a Common Position and a framework for Community action, there will be a prescribed set of pesticide uses or functions. Will there be a defined list? Will pesticide users be required to undertake training? Does the Minister envisage that this will be implemented within a certain timeframe? The Minister has said that Ireland had an alliance with Britain and Hungary on this issue, but what position did the three countries take? Did Ireland abstain when the vote was taken on the final Common Position? Did Ireland vote against it?

If these proposals are approved by the Council, an action plan will be put in place by the middle of 2011. We received support at official and political level from our counterparts in Britain and Hungary for our position, which we argued consistently. If I recall correctly, no other country supported the position. We expressed particular concerns about the proposal to base decisions on hazard-based cut-off criteria, rather than on the scientific principles of risk assessment. Some substances that are crucial to crop protection in Ireland may fail to meet the new cut-off criteria. With regard to some fungicide uses, for example, we argued consistently that consideration should be given to this country's climate conditions. Mediterranean countries like Spain are concerned about insecticide, whereas Ireland's damp climate means that fungicide is the major issue here. As we have consistently pointed out, we do not have the final text of the proposal that will be put to the Council of Ministers next month. We do not know exactly what it will be. For some time, it has been suggested that an action plan will have to be drawn up by the middle of 2011. If the proposals are agreed and need to be implemented at EU level, the Department will meet the relevant stakeholders in the middle of this year to consult them. One of the factors driving these proposals at Commission level is a recent Eurobarometer report, which found that the use of pesticides is the biggest concern of EU citizens when it comes to food safety issues. This issue will not go away.

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