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EUROPEAN AND REGIONAL POLICIES ON SUSTAINABLE PESTICIDE USE

Steliana Rodino

Abstract

For reducing the negative environmental impacts of agriculture, the European strategy should aim to enhance the development of farming systems that will be able to give high yields with low environmental impacts. This can only be achieved by combining technologies from both organic and conventional farming systems. In this respect, the EU Directive 2009/128/EC, set rules for the sustainable use of pesticides aiming the decrease of risk and negative impact both on human health and environment. The Directive recommends that all Member States should design and implement national action plans to promote integrated pest management (in the sense of lower input of pesticides), and clearly establish the necessary conditions and measures for its implementation. The main challenges in European agricultural systems are different throughout the applied strategies, conventional vs. organic. In conventional farming the challenge is to maintain and improve the soil quality while recycling nutrients. The challenge in organic farming is to increase yields and in the same time to improve nutrient management. The development of organic farming depends on national agricultural policy, specific policy incentives, and also on regional differences in consumer behaviour. The consumers and the food retail sector demand low residue foodstuff and therefore pesticide reduction pressure is increasing. However, this situation will drive to a change of strategic decisions and the regional policies regarding the pesticide use.

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DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgem2018/5.1/s20.045

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