Pesticides law is unfinished business

By Emily Smith

Date: 22/12/05

The year 2006 will see the European Commission dealing with environmental proposals that were supposed to be published by July 2005.

The delays have variously been blamed on clashes between Commission departments and industrial action by translators.

The EU environment action plan of 2002 promised seven 'thematic strategies' on areas of environmental concern within three years.

But only two - on air pollution and the oceans - had emerged at the time European Voice went to press, with publication of two more on waste and resources expected on Wednesday (21 December).

Which leaves three still to come: on soil, pesticides and the urban environment.

The soil and urban strategies are likely to be the first to appear after the Commission's Christmas holiday, with a tentative "early January" given by the environment department as the probable date for publication.

There is some doubt however over when the pesticides strategy will be approved with one Commission official saying publication could be as late as May.

The delay is put down to desire to bring the strategy out at the same time as a review of existing EU legislation on pesticide market approvals, currently in the throes of an impact assessment.

EU laws already exist to regulate putting pesticides on the market and control the residual amounts of pesticides allowed in food, but the use of pesticides is generally regulated by national authorities. The new strategy will therefore focus on the use phase and will be accompanied by legislation.

The proposed directive is expected to set out the requirements for training pesticide users and for checking up on spraying equipment and to restrict aerial pesticide spraying.

It will also suggest setting up indicators to measure the impacts of pesticide use on health and the environment.

Currently no such indicators exist at Community level, although some member states have their own data.

There will be no legislation accompanying the urban environment strategy, just advice for member states on how to take account of the environment in city planning. Issues from road structure to public transport will come under scrutiny.

Given the huge differences in environmental performance between European cities, from Helsinki to Athens, member states will also be asked to swap details of their greenest urban planning projects.

Pesticides and urban sprawl will both also be mentioned in the soils strategy, which will look at the effect this often neglected natural resource has across the political board. Links to be highlighted include the part that soil can play in cutting carbon dioxide emissions.

Three thematic strategies from the European Union's Environment Action Plan, due in 2005, are now expected to be published in 2006. The Commission's Environment DG has given January 2006 as the probable date for the publication of strategies on the urban environment and soil. However, the strategy on sustainable use of pesticides may be as late as May 2006.

• Primary Source

European Commission: DG Environment: Seven Environmental Thematic Strategies http://ec.europa.eu/comm/environment/newprg/strategies_en.htm

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