NAP to achieve sustainable use of pesticides in Slovakia

Katarína Beňovská
Plant Production Department
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
Slovak Republic
11.06.2013

‣ Legislative basis
‣ Objectives / Targets
‣ Affected areas
‣ Instruments to achieve the goals
‣ Non professional use
‣ Training / Education

‣ Decision No. 1600/2002/EC of the European
Parliament and of the Council of 22 July 2002
laying down the Sixth Community Environment
Action Programme (Articles 2 and 7)
The European Commission in summer 2006
published a document entitled "Thematic Strategy
on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides"
‣ Objective: to encourage those types of farming and
methods of protection against harmful organisms
which can:

‣ Restrict or better target the use of plant protection
products (organic farming, integrated protection
against harmful organisms or the use of less
susceptible varieties)
- ensure encourage a rational and precise pesticide
use,
- ensure the application of appropriate crop
rotation,
- ensure improved habits pesticide users (in
particular professional users), especially through
better training and targeted education.

‣ In line with the Thematic Strategy on the
Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive
2009/128/EC was adopted, which currently only
applies to pesticides that are plant protection
products.
‣ It is expected, however, that the scope of this
Directive will be extended to include biocidal
products as well.

‣ Law. 405/2011 Z. z. on Plant Health Care ("the Act.
405/2011 Coll.")
- Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of
the Slovak Republic (hereinafter referred to as
"MPRV SR") approves the National Action Plan in the
field of plant protection products
and transposes Directive 2009/128/EC to Slovak
legislation ( Act 405/2011 Coll.+ 8 ministerial
decrees)
‣ Law. 405/2011 Coll. in § 36 imposes MPRV in
cooperation with CCTIA and other organizations
and professional teams with public participation to
develop and submit to the Commission a national
action plan for plant protection products until 26
November 2012.
Updating - every 5 years.

‣ Official declaration of the Government's efforts to
provide quality domestic plant production by
promoting rural development and effective
management of land, including the maintenance of
cultural landscapes, protection of environment and
accelerating the development of the rural economy.
‣ Respect of the EU programming documents aimed
at promoting economic growth and economic
performance in agriculture and forestry in keeping
with the principles of balance between economic
and ecological management mode, which is a
prerequisite for sustainable social market economy
in the country.

‣ Pesticides play a key role in ensuring the quantitative
targets of plant production, as well as forest production.
Their use should be such and such a way as not to pose
risks to human health and the environment or, to reduce
their risks to a minimum.
‣ Need for protection against classical already established
pests but also new threats is still valid and necessary.
‣ Without the use of pesticides is therefore not possible to
secure sufficient crop and forest production.
‣ The aim of the National Action Plan is to minimize the
hazards and risks to human health and the environment
arising from the use of pesticides by setting objectives,
targets, indicators and measures to reduce these potential
risks. Pesticides for the National Action Plan means plant
protection products in the range, which is defined in
Article 2 of Regulation (EC) no. 1107/2009.

‣ Objective of SLOVAK NAP:
reduce the risks of pesticide usage
necessarily reduce their used quantities

4. 1. Consumer and residues of plant protection products in food and water
- Residues of plant protection products in food products
- Authorization, control and use of plant protection products
- Residues of plant protection products in drinking water
4. 2. Protection of human health
4. 3. Protection of the environment
- Protected areas
- Public green
4. 4. Communication and awareness
4. 5. Training
- Education and training in Slovakia
- Requirements on sale of plant protection products
- Sale of plant protection products intended for professional users
4. 6. Storage of plant protection products and handling
4. 7. Application equipment for plant protection products and their control
- Structural analysis in terms of representation of different types of
application equipment and facilities in the Slovak Republic
- Monitoring the use of application equipment
- Hand and back applicators
- Measures to reduce the risks to human health and the environment
during application of plant protection products
4. 8. Aerial application
4. 9. Integrated protection against harmful organisms
4. 10. Indicators

‣ Regulation (EC) no. 1107/2009/ES SR is
implemented into the Act. 405/2011 Coll.
‣ Role of CCTIA (Central Control and Testing
Institute in Agriculture):
‣ coordination, evaluation and issue a decision on
authorization of plant protection productsm,
keeping records of sales and consumption of plant
protection products and
‣ performance of control of plant protection
products.

‣ In the EU - about 1300 registered active
substances (AS).
For use in plant protection products is authorized
only about 32 % AS in the EU.
‣ About 6 % AS are currently evaluated and
‣ 62 % AS were not approved, so their use in the EU
is not allowed.
‣ The EU itself has contributed to the quantitative
objectives of NAPs and reduction of usage of plant
protection products.

Year
kg/ha of AS
kg/ha of plant protection
product
2002 1,19 2,36
2003 1,04 2,04
2004 1,08 2,29
2005 1,10 2,42
2006 1,22 2,59
2007 1,21 2,62
2008 0,97 2,29
2009 1,14 2,50
2010 1,31 3,08
2011 1,00 2,41
Average 1,13 2,46

‣ Plant protection products classified as toxic, very toxic,
carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction ARE NOT
authorized for use in small packages, their use is restricted to
professional use ONLY...
‣ People selling wholesale packaging of plant protection
products are required to provide information to customers
regarding the risks to human health and the environment
associated with the use of plant protection products.
‣ Several laws required control and adjust the safety at work
and in SR.
‣ Obligatory training and certification of dealers under the laws
no. 355/2007 Z. z. (Public Health) and no. 405/2011 Coll.
(PHC) - a condition for permission to work with those
categories of products.

‣ Prerequisite condition for use of plant protection products by nonprofessional
users is the assessment of plant protection products for
this purpose, which is particularly related to the potential risks for
non-professional user. The objective of the assessment is
eliminating of potential negative effects to those users.
‣ For non-professional users (gardeners) plant protection products
classified as toxic, very toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for
reproduction are not authorized .
‣
Range of customers: non-professional public, seniors, hobby
growers and gardeners
Stores: garden centers, gardening stores, drugstores.
‣ The sales personnel should be trained and provide the customer
with information on available and proper product for the particular
disease or pest mainly in fruit, vegetable, wine, he must suggest the
correct application, proper storage and how to deal with disposal of
plant protection product, he has to inform on safe application and
protectionon of human health.

‣ Establish a system of compulsory education with the aim to
complement the expertise of personnel sellers of small
packages of plant protection products.
‣ Provide for compulsory training for members of the
horticultural associations (hobby growers).
‣ Intensify objectively and scientifically based information
campaigns about the possible effects of plant protection
products on human health due to improper handling
preparations (maternity centers, schools, television, radio, flyers,
brochures, lectures for public).
‣ Secure the cooperation of involved organizations with the
goal - legislative amendments in the packaging of pesticides
(eg visible enough warning of the possible dangers on the
packaging, bottles for safety stops) and the exchange of
information on compliance with the relevant legislation in
practice.
‣ ROOM for further initiatives

‣ MPRV SR is responsible for training, organizational
management is done by designated organizations
designated by the MPRV (in accordance with the Act.
405/2011 Coll.)
‣ Requirements and conditions for organizational part of
training is set out by the MPRV SR.
The system is applied practically since 2010.
‣ Ministry designated 3 institutions that are responsible for
organization of training system: Agroinštitút Nitra, Slovak
Agricultural and Food Chamber (in agricultural sector).
‣ Agroinštitút Nitra organizes training for applicators on the
railways in collaboration with the Central Institute of
Education and Psychology Railways of the Slovak Republic.
‣ National Forest Centre in Zvolen is responsible for
organizational part of trainings in the forestry sector
(technical and administrative staff, nursery workers, service
companies that apply products in the forestry sector).

‣ Training is based on a modular system, specially
focused on different focus groups of participants.
‣ Sellers are trained separately, leaders in
agricultural companies as well as applicators in
agriculture are trained independently. Separate
training undergo forestry workers and workers of
those companies who provide rail treatment.
‣ Education still did not receive workers of public
green parks, playgrounds, taking care on hospitals
green, airports and surrounding roads.

‣ Scope of the training is fully in accordance with Art. 5 and
Annex I. Directive 2009/128/EC.
Lecturers - experts in various fields of education, approved
and listed in database kept by CCTIA.
The literature was created by experts in each field and
approved by ÚKSÚP.
In 2012 - Update of publication "Information for sellers and
users of plant protection products and other products“, the
book was updated, set of practical information was added.
‣ In agriculture it is used publication "Safe use of plant
protection products", which includes a DVD containing 16
video demonstrations of proper handling of plant protection
products.
‣ The forest sector - a separate special literature is used
"The use of plant protection products in the forests" that is
completed by a CD with lectures.

‣ Compliance with the conditions of education
carries out MPRV SR.
‣ CCTIA is in charge of controls whether operators
working with plant protection products hold or do
not a certificate (licence) of professional
competence in the field of plant protection
products according to the Act no. 405/2011 Coll.

‣ Distributors or dealers must have sufficient staff
available at time of purchase of plant protection
products in order to provide sufficient information
for customers in the field of plant protection,
proper use, health and environmental risks and
other safety information.
‣ Sellers of small packages (non-proffesionals) are
required to provide non-professional users with
basic information on the risks to human health and
the environment, safe handling, storage, use and
disposal of products, including packaging.
‣ They are also obliged to provide information on
alternatives protection with lower risk.

‣ Maintained the training system in its current form in the field of
plant protection products in agriculture and forestry,
‣ Include those people working with plants and pesticides in the
garden and landscape design, maintenance of public green
spaces, parks, playgrounds, hospitals, airports and roads into
the system of training and adapt the level of training and
orientation to their needs
‣ To include of distributors selling products for amateur use to
compulsory education,
‣ Training focus on more practical field through videos and films,
‣ Create a voluntary system for those who use products such as
private consumers (gardeners) and provide them with an
affordable and targeted at different groups of literature
appropriately formulated for this target group (brochures,
leaflets, etc.).,
‣ Support the creation of series of reports and films on use od
plant protection products to be presented to public, that could
provide with the education of public.
‣

‣ Increase the time in training for the needs of
farmers, and for the purposes of education of
consultants,
‣ Creation of a separate voluntary training in
integrated pest management,
‣ Establish the Legislative conditions for renewal and
revocation of the certificate of professional
competence in the field of plant protection
products,
‣ Initiate extension of studying plans in high schools
and universities on topics containing training
particularly in the field of integrated pest
organisms and pesticides in general.

‣ Objective: to pesticides for professional and non-professional
use accounted for the least possible risk to users and the
environment. The above information resources designed
especially for non-professional address will focus largely on
the recommendation of non-chemical methods of pest and
weed control.
‣ Forms of information – easy accessible to the target group.
Media: Slovak Television and Slovak Radio (RTVS)
Print media: Official MPRV SR, (lists of authorized plant
protection products, lists of IP products) agricultural journals
Internet: information is provided by public authorities and
professional and companies that sell or distribute pesticides
and non-governmental organizations.
Information distributed via agricultural fairs and seminars
organized by government and distribution network for plant
protection products.

‣ contact:
katarina.benovska@land.gov.sk