Machinery for pesticide application

The Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection adopted the report drawn up by Leopold Józef RUTOWICZ (UEN, PL) amending, under the first reading of the codecision procedure, the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on machinery for pesticide application, amending Directive 2006/42/EC of 17 May 2006 on machinery.

The main amendments cover the following points:

Scope of application of the directive: MEPs added a new definition of 'essential health and safety requirements', including a reference to the protection of the environment, to avoid the need to amend the numerous references to this term in the Machinery Directive.

The committee requests that essential health and safety requirements for the protection of the environment should apply only to machinery for pesticide application referred to in section 2.4 of Annex I.

Requirements for the protection of the environment applicable to machinery for pesticide application (Annex I, point 2.4): MEPs adopted a number of amendments aimed at strengthening the requirements for the protection of the environment applicable to machinery for pesticide application. Machinery for pesticide application must be designed, constructed and equipped so that it can be operated, adjusted and maintained without damaging human health and the environment. For this purpose, due account must be taken of the requirements of the precautionary principle.

Provisions have also been introduced for improving the instructions provided by the manufacturers of this machinery.

Consistent reference to the protection of the environment: a set of amendments has been introduced on different articles of the Machinery Directive with the broad aim of ensuring a consistent reference to the protection of domestic animals, property and the environment.