An ongoing review of the Sustainable Use Directive (SUD) will have a major impact on the future use of pesticides and plant protectant products in Ireland.

AnneMarie Dillon is head of the Pesticide Controls Division within the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).

She took part in a recent edition of the Tillage Edge podcast to discuss these matters with Teagasc’s Michael Hennessy.

The DAFM representative confirmed that the principles of integrated pest management (IPM) drive the use of all plant protectant products.

“All tillage professionals are expected to be trained accordingly. They must also use the principles associated with IPM when making recommendations with regard to the issue of a specific pesticide,” she explained.

According to the DAFM representative, the SUD also covers the use of application equipment.

“There is a requirement for sprayers to be tested and re-tested,” she said.

“A re-test must now be carried out every three years.”

Other aspects of Sustainable Use Directive

Correct storage of agrochemicals is another aspect of the SUD. This covers storage both on-farm and at retail level.

“The protection of sensitive areas is another focus of the SUD,” Dillon said.

“The protection of water is, obviously, an important aspect of this.”

Looking ahead, the DAFM representative discussed the differences between the existing SUD and the new Sustainable Use Regulation that is coming down the track.

She referenced the launch of the EU’s Farm to Fork strategy a couple of years ago as the starting point of this review process.

“A regulation is a piece of legislation that must be applied across all member states in a harmonised manner. In contrast, a directive comprises a framework or set of goals that can be interpreted by way of national legislation,” she explained.

According to Dillon, the proposal for a Sustainable Use Regulation was published in June of this year. It will be discussed at both EU Council and parliamentary level.

“This work is now underway. Negotiations may well continue for the next 12 to 18 months and maybe beyond,” she said.

“This is very complicated subject area. However, the wording of the final regulation will be directly transposed into national legislation.

“The EU Commission wants to see a more harmonised approach taken, where the future use of pesticides is concerned.

“The wording of the current draft and all accompanying papers are freely available on the EU website.”