Malta’s National Action Plan for Sustainable Use of Pesticides 2019 – 2023.

This Malta’s National Action Plan for Sustainable Use of Pesticides 2019 – 2023 is a national cross-sectoral policy document. The NAP consists of 6 main area objectives: a. Training, information and awareness-raising; b. Controls on pesticide application equipment; c. Controls on handling, storage and disposal of plant protection products; d. Controls on the use of Plant Protection Products in specified areas; e. Integrated Pest Management and alternate low pesticide input pest management strategies; f. Risk indicators and data gathering.
The NAP seeks to make agriculture more sustainable. It establishes targets, measures, and timelines to reduce risks and impacts of pesticide use on human health and the environment, whilst encouraging integrated pest management and alternative approaches or techniques to reduce pesticide-use dependency. Training in line with Good Plant Protection Practice with reference to the appropriate measures to protect the aquatic environment and drinking water supplies from the impact of pesticides adopted in Malta is included in the initial and additional training requirements for professional users and distributors. The main objectives of the NAP towards the promotion of the implementation of Integrated Pest Management and alternate low pesticide-input pest management strategies in Malta are: 1. Promoting low pesticide-input pest management strategies and available incentives, including the financial incentives within the RDP covering period 2014-2020 for agricultural producers applying general and/or specific principles of integrated pest management through collaboration with respective entities. 2. Encouraging the use of non-chemical alternatives to pesticides wherever possible.
The NAP seeks to contribute to more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems. Proposed measures include: Preference should be given to pesticides that are not classified as dangerous for the aquatic environment pursuant to the Dangerous Substances and Preparation Regulations of Legal Notice 306 of 2008, as well as to those which do not contain priority hazardous substances as set out in the Water Policy Framework Regulations; Preference should be given to the most efficient application techniques such as the use of lowdrift pesticide application equipment especially in vertical crops such as hops, orchards and vineyards; Promote awareness with regards to record-keeping by all stakeholders; Ensure the availability and easy accessibility of information on record-keeping; Improve the availability of information and tools at the disposal of professional users for the identification of risk levels to support decision-making and pest monitoring; Evaluation for the identification of active substances which are toxic, highly toxic, bioaccumulative, carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reproductively toxic for which there are safer alternatives in view of liaison with monitoring entities for pesticide residue levels; Liaison with entities providing advisory services to farmers to su pport the practice and guidance towards the identification of risk levels during use of PPPs to support decision making and pest monitoring in line with low pesticide-input pest management; promote organic farming; etc.