Pesticide legislation delayed as industry ‘demands gold-plating’

The introduction of new UK pesticide legislation is being delayed while Ministers consider a request by the industry to continue effectively ‘gold-plating’ EU rules.

The Government was due to implement the EU Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive this month but a delay is now inevitable.

Defra has adopted an approach, mostly in line with the wishes of the farming and pesticides sectors, of refraining from gold-plating the EU Directive in transposing it into UK law. 

Ministers have argued that the UK’s ‘comprehensive’ pesticide controls are ‘already among the highest in the EU’, while the UK Voluntary Initiative for pesticides, which will mark its 10th anniversary next week, is promoting good practice and adding further protection.

They have rejected calls by pesticides campaigners for new legislation on no-spray buffer zones near public areas and to require farmers to notify the public when and where they are spraying.

However, one area of dispute remains. The Government has been pressed by both industry organisation and environmental campaigners to go beyond the EU Directive by retaining the existing UK requirement for people who work with pesticides to be trained and hold a certificate of competence.

While it is understood Defra Ministers support the industry on this issue, others across Government are reluctant to be seen to gold-plate the Directive, in contravention of current coalition policy. Defra has acknowledged Government will need to ‘come to a collective view on this’ before it finalises the transposing legislation.

Crop Protection Association chief executive Dominic Dyer admitted it was is an ‘unusual situation’ where the industry was arguing for tighter rules.

"When we have got high standards on training requirements that help maintain public confidence, we don’t want them watered down,” he said.

Pesticides campaigner Georgina Downs has criticised Defra for backtracking on a repeatedly made promise to hold a second consultation on the UK rules.

Revealing the change of plan, Defra said it had decided further consultation would ‘serve little purpose’.

"Since we consulted widely on making changes to our legislation to bring us into line with the new European requirements, we’ve had ongoing discussions with interested parties. As no major changes to existing legislation are required a second consultation isn’t needed,” a Defra spokesman said.

But Ms Downs said: “This really is outrageous and is yet again a clear demonstration of the Government’s refusal to take any notice at all of those directly and adversely impacted from the use of pesticides.”