National Action Programme for achieving sustainable use of plant protection products.

This publication contains the full text of the National Action Programme for achieving sustainable use of plant protection products of the Republic of Slovenia, among its Final report on progress over the period for which the Programme was planned (2013-2017). The terms of this Programme are harmonized with the provisions of the 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.
This National Action Programme for achieving sustainable use of plant protection products of the Republic of Slovenia sets the following general objectives: to reduce the danger and risk to human and animal health and to the environment from the use of plant protection products, including by replacing the most hazardous substances with safer ones (including non-chemical substances); to reduce the levels of harmful active substances in food and drinking water, including through the substitution of the most dangerous ones with safer (including non- chemical) alternatives; to encourage agricultural production in such a way that plant protection products are used in accordance with the principles of integrated pest management, only when absolutely necessary or economically justified, in particular by increasing users awareness regarding safe plant protection products use and encouraging the development and introduction of organic farming and of other environmentally friendly farming practices; to create a transparent system for reporting on the progress being made in achieving the goals of the strategy and on the checks being made of the progress achieved, including by developing appropriate indicators; to ensure the sustainable use of plant protection products for all species of plant by reducing the risk arising from plant protection products use.
Specific objectives here listed are: to reduce the use of plant protection products (especially plant protection products that contain active substances which, when they come up for re-approval under Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009, will not meet the criteria for approval referred to in points 3.6 to 3.8 of Annex II to that Regulation); to ensure the professionally justified use of plant protection products, which should be based on improving technological procedures for the production of cultivated plants, with the help of the observation and forecasting service; to improve the professional competence of users; to reduce plant protection products residues in Slovenian agricultural products (the Maximum Residues Limit should not be exceeded in any domestic product); to reduce the pollution of surface waters and groundwater from plant protection products with the aim of achieving the environmental targets for surface waters in accordance with the regulations governing the status of surface waters, and for groundwater in accordance with the regulations governing the status of groundwater; to improve controls of plant protection products use (for agricultural and non-agricultural purposes) and the disposal of waste plant protection products packaging; to establish the systematic monitoring of the impact of such products on certain non-target organisms and the systematic monitoring of the poisoning of bees, birds and fish, and to reduce as far as possible the number of instances of the poisoning of bees, birds and fish resulting from plant protection products use; to establish systematic monitoring of the impact of plant protection products on the health of users of these products.
In order to achieve these objectives, there are 24 measures here listed, that shall be gradually implemented during the duration of this Programme. List of measures is here as follows: Measure 1: Training; Measure 2: Plant protection products trade; Measure 3: Information; Measure 4: Waste plant protection products; Measure 5: Low-risk plant protection products; Measure 6: Integrated pest management; Measure 7: Correct plant protection products use; Measure 8: Prevention of the drift of plant protection products; Measure 9: Plant protection products residues; Measure 10: Inspection of equipment for the application of plant protection products; Measure 11: Technical solutions for plant protection products drift reduction; Measure 12: Research; Measure 13: The aerial spraying of plant protection products; Measure 14: Water protection; Measure 15: plant protection products selection; Measure 16: Public areas; Measure 17: Integrated pest management; Measure 18: Integrated pest management guidelines; Measure 19: Specialist tasks in integrated pest management; Measure 20: Machinery for non-chemical control methods; Measure 21: Forecasting the occurrence of pests; Measure 22: Advising; Measure 23: Aiming to reduce plant protection products use, in particular in experimental centers for fruit-growing, wine-growing and olive-growing and professional institutions in horticulture, arable farming and hop-growing; and Measure 24: New technological solutions.