Thematic strategy on the sustainable use of pesticides

The Council welcomed the Thematic Strategy on the sustainable use of pesticides and made a number of conclusions.

In its conclusions, the Council noted that existing legislation fails to address the risks associated with pesticide use, that excessive amounts of pesticides can still be found in the environment – such as in soil and water, and that residues exceeding regulatory limits may still occur in foodstuffs. Accordingly, the Council agrees that it is necessary to reduce risks from pesticides through measures envisaged in the strategy. As such, the Council:

-          emphasises that it is important to give a legal framework to Community actions as a contribution to a comprehensive and coherent pesticides policy within each Member State and to fill the gap in the Community’s regulatory framework by establishing general and flexible rules to reduce dependence on pesticides and the risks from pesticide use to human health and the environment;

-          welcomes the proposed Regulation on plant protection products;

-          emphasises that specific measures to protect surface water and groundwater are required to reduce the risk of pesticides to the aquatic environment; and

-          stresses the need for the European Commission, Member States and stakeholders to take forward the measures referred to in the Communication.

On a final point, the Council supports the continued work, at an international level, on the International Code of Conduct on the distribution and use of pesticides.