Statistics on pesticides

PURPOSE: to create a legal framework, and to lay down harmonised rules, for the collection and dissemination of data concerning the placing on the market and use of plant protection products.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EC) No 1185/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning statistics on pesticides.

CONTENT: the Council adopted a regulation concerning statistics on plant protection products, on the basis of a text agreed with the European Parliament under the Parliament-Council conciliation procedure.

The regulation establishes a common framework for the systematic production of Community statistics on the marketing and use of approved pesticides. The statistics, together with other relevant data, will allow the member states to establish national action plans with quantitative objectives, targets, measures and timetables aimed at reducing the risks and impacts of pesticide use on human health and the environment.

The targets may cover different areas of concern, for example worker protection, protection of the environment, residues, use of specific techniques or use in specific crops. The statistics will also be used to establish harmonised risk indicators as referred to in annex IV to directive 2009/128/EC on the sustainable use of pesticides.

It should be noted that the European Parliament managed to obtain the following provisions: 

·        replacing the term 'plant protection products' with the term 'pesticides', which is also the definition included in the Directive on sustainable use, in order to ensure clarity and consistency of the whole legislative package;

·        including the concept of 'biocidal products', with the possibility in the future to extend the scope of the regulation on pesticide statistics to cover the use of relevant 'biocides', in accordance with the results of an impact study;

·        better information and greater transparency concerning pesticides by publishing the relevant data on the Internet;

·        including a clear reference to the general legislative framework on statistics concerning the way statistics should be used (including the requirement of confidentiality);

·        comitology: introduction of the regulatory procedure with scrutiny concerning the requirements of the quality reports on data collection by the Member States.

The Commission shall submit a report on the implementation of the Regulation to the European Parliament and the Council every five years. This report shall evaluate in particular the quality of data transmitted, the data collection methods, the burden on businesses, agricultural holdings and national administrations and the usefulness of these statistics in the context of the Thematic Strategy on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides. It shall, if appropriate, contain proposals designed to further improve data quality and data collection methods thereby improving the coverage and comparability of data and reducing the burden on businesses, agricultural holdings and national administrations.

The first report shall be submitted by 31 December 2016.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 30/12/2009.