National action plan for sustainable use of pesticides in the Republic of Bulgaria.

The National action plan for sustainable use of pesticides in the Republic of Bulgaria was developed with the cooperation and expert assistance of all competent state institutions, as well as the interested parties – agricultural associations, industry and non-governmental organizations. The initiation, coordination and overall process of developing the plan was carried out by experts from the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency. The action plan lists the goals to which the state will strive in the coming years and the measures to achieve them. The indicators that will be used to determine the progress related to the implementation of the set goals and measures are indicated. By summarizing and analyzing the information on the use of plant protection products and their impact on human health and the environment, the achievement of sustainable use of pesticides in the country will be tracked in the coming years.
The Action Plan sets out the objectives that the state intends to meet in the coming years, along with the measures they require. A list of benchmarks is used to assess progress in the implementation of these objectives and measures. By summarising and analysing information on the use of plant protection products and their impact on human health and the environment, it will be possible to track progress towards the sustainable use of pesticides in Bulgaria in the years to come. This National Action Plan describes the way in which Bulgaria will ensure implementation of the requirements in this sphere. It defines the objectives, measures, schedules and indicators for the reduction of risks and impact of the use of pesticides on human health and the environment. Directive 2009/128/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for Community action to achieve the sustainable use of pesticides requires Bulgaria to draw up a National Action Plan for the Sustainable Use of Pesticides. Pursuant to the requirements of the Directive, it sets out the actions to be taken to encourage integrated pest management and alternative approaches or technologies to reduce dependence on pesticide use. The Directive also envisages observation on the part of Member States of the use of plant protection products containing active substances which give rise to particular concern and the setting of schedules and objectives to cut down on their use, particularly when this represents a suitable way of reducing risk.