National Plant Protection Action Plan
National Plant Protection Action Plan
In accordance with Article 4 of Directive 2009/128/EC of the European Parliament and of the
Council establishing a framework for Community action to achieve the sustainable use of
pesticides, Member States shall work out and adopt National Action Plans (NAP). The NAP
shall set up quantitative objectives, measures and timetables to reduce risks and impacts of
pesticide use on human health and the environment and to encourage the development and
introduction of integrated pest management and of alternative approaches or techniques in
order to reduce dependency on and risks posed by the use of plant protection products.
In addition to the above targets, the National Action Plan shall consider the conservation of
natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, as well as the principles laid down in Directive
2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for
Community action in the field of water policy, the so-called Water Framework Directive
(WFD). The WFD introduces a strategy against chemical pollution of water and requires
further specific measures for pollution control which shall be recorded in the river basin management plan. The WFD provides furthermore for setting out a list of priority substances
and requires further specific measures for defining environmental quality standards (EQS
directive 2008/105/EC). Priority substances are the chemical pollutants, including plant
protection products, which may be harmful to human health or the quality of aquatic
ecosystems. As regards groundwaters, Directive 2006/118/EC on the protection of
groundwater against pollution and deterioration establishes quality standards for plant
protection products and metabolites, degradation and reaction products exceeding of which
shall entail measures for reestablishment of the good status. As regards surface waters, the
WFD and the EQS provides for regular operational monitoring of priority substances, of the
assessment of chemical status of water bodies and for undertaking additional programs if
environmental standards are exceeded.
The quantity of plant protection products used for the last 20 years (between 1989 and 2009)
in Hungary decreased by 60 %. Since Hungary’s accession to the European Union, the
competent authority responsible for the authorisation has withdrawn the authorisation of
placing on the market and use of several hundreds of plant protection products. In most cases
the reason was that the Community review of the active substances of plant protection
products did not confirm that their use would meet the strictest safety requirements. It is
important to find a solution for the substitution of those plant protection products authorised
in Hungary the withdrawal of which is expected or justified in accordance with the Procedure
and criteria for the approval of active substances, safeners and synergists pursuant to Chapter
II specified in Annex II to the Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 of the European Parliament and
of the Council of 21 October 2009 concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market, the new authorisation regulation.
In addition to the restrictions made up to now, Hungary’s further objective is to use the plant
protection products in such a way as necessary for sustainable agriculture, for the protection
of plants and plant products from the harmful organisms and for producing high quality and
safe foods. As under the above conditions the reduction of quantities of plant protection
products expressed in natural units (kg, l) does not coincide with the mitigation of
environmental and health risks, thus the primary aim of the National Action Plans is to
moderate the risks posed by the use of plant protection products and to spread their reasonable
use. Furthermore, another aim of the NAP is to suppress the avoidable or improper use, to
substitute the application techniques requiring plant protection products by cultural methods,
and in doing so, to mitigate the risks. The Plant Protection Committee shall review the
National Action Plan every five years following its approval.
The objective of the present National Action Plan is to encourage the development and
introduction of integrated pest management and safer alternative approaches in Hungary.
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