National Action Plan for the Sustainable Use of Plant Protection Products
The objective of the National Action Plan for the Sustainable Use of Plant Protection Products is
- to reduce health and environmental risks caused by the use of plant protection products
- to promote integrated pest management and alternative control methods
- to reduce dependence on the use of plant protection products.
Every EU Member State has its own action plan on how the country will implement sustainable use of plant protection products. The goals and measures included in the action plans are based on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive. Tukes updates Finland's action plan about every five years in collaboration with actors within the plant protection sector. The first action plan was published in 2011.
The third Finnish National Action Plan on Sustainable Plant Protection III 2023–2027
The health and environmental risks of plant protection products can be reduced by such means as:
- the assessment of environmental and health risks before the use of the plant protection product is allowed in Finland
- training provided to users on safe use of plant protection products
- professional users of plant protection products must acquire a mandatory plant protection certification, to be renewed every five years
- regular inspection of the condition of plant protection application equipment
- increasing the knowledge of users and consumers on the risks and safe use of plant protection products by means of training and communications
- annual monitoring of the residues of plant protection products in foodstuff, feed and the environment
- restrictions of the use of plant protection products in the vicinity of water bodies and drinking water wells as well as in groundwater areas
- observation of the principles of integrated pest management.
