Ministerial Decision No. 1848/278812. Code of Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Waters from Nitrate Pollution of Agricultural Origin.

This Ministerial Decision, implementing provisions of paragraph 2 of article 62 of the Law no. 4235 of 2014 concerning administrative measures, procedures and sanctions in the application of European and National legislation in the fields of food, animal feed, animal health and welfare sectors, provides for the definition and the correct guidelines for the implementation of the Code of good agricultural practice for the protection of waters from nitrogen pollution of agricultural origin. This Decision applies to all those are engaged in agricultural and livestock activities, in order to protect the environment and at the same time ensure their income, and specifically to prevent the pollution of underground and surface waters caused by nitrate ions coming from fields where nitrogen fertilisation has been applied, and pasture where animals have grazed.
The Decision defines: vulnerable zones, as the land areas whose waters are subject to nitrate pollution or may suffer nitrate pollution; eutrophication, as the enrichment of waters with nitrogenous and/or phosphoric compounds, resulting in the acceleration of the growth of algae and other forms of plant life and the disturbance of the ecological balance of the organisms living in the waters; organic, inorganic, chemical fertilisers, as substances that enhance plant growth, increase production and improve the quality of the product; livestock waste; bare land, as the raw land area, which is not covered by vegetation; covered ground; saturated soil; irrigation delivery; soil permeability; water application rate; groundwater; aquifers and wells.
The Decision covers the following matters: good agricultural practices for the application of nitrogen fertilisers, including: properties and quality of the soil, type of crops, climatic conditions; permitted and forbidden activities for producers; good agricultural practices for storage and transport of nitrogen fertilisers; packaging and labelling of fertilisers; good agricultural practices for animal waste, and waste management; environmental standards for fertiliser production and for organic waste management; good agricultural practices for soil treatment and disposal of solid waste; general practices concerning irrigation; measures to reduce water losses; irrigation practices and category of irrigation methods; other good agricultural practices to prevent water pollution and maintain reasonable water quality standards.