Aerial spraying has been banned by the European Union in 2009. A driving force underlying this ban has been a lobby campaign by the Europe chapter of the Pesticide Action Network (henceforth PAN). In 2000, PAN launched the Pesticide Use Reduction in Europe (PURE) campaign to lobby for binding EU legislation to reduce pesticide use. Campaign instruments included writing a draft Directive and an Explanatory Memorandum detailing the "factual and scientific rationale for reducing pesticide use". 1 The campaign was supported by 92 signatories from 30 EU countries, representing various interest groups, including trade unions and environment, food, public health, consumers, and farmer movements. This broad support from interest groups contributed considerably to the campaign's effect at EU level. PAN also reported to have gained the support from members of the European Parliament for many elements in their draft Directive. Evidence for increasing exposure to-and adverse effects of pesticides had been growing, and the European Union's Fifth Environment Action Programme had "promised much but delivered very little" (PAN PURE campaign page). National regulations of Member States on pesticide use varied greatly; with regard to aerial spraying between a total ban, ban with exceptions, severe restrictions, no restrictions, and no regulation at all (see the BiPro Impact Assessments, 2004). According to PAN, several Member States had successfully introduced national pesticide use reduction programmes in the 1980s and 1990s, indicating that EU wide legislation was feasible. PAN's draft Directive of the PURE campaign outlined a set of measures to achieve a more sustainable use of pesticides, including use reduction targets, making IPM mandatory, promoting organic farming, eliminating unsafe application practices such as aerial spraying, and minimum requirements for pesticide dealers and operators. 2 In PAN's draft Directive, aerial spraying was to be prohibited altogether since it was considered an 'unsafe pesticide practice'. The specific section of the draft Directive further specified the need for minimum technical standards for application equipment, preparation and cleaning thereof, and minimum requirements for storage of pesticides and equipment. The EU's final Directive similarly outlines a comprehensive programme that covers the diverse aspects of pesticide use. Its chapters address training, sales of pesticides, information and awareness-raising; pesticide application equipment; specific practices and uses; and indicators, reporting and information exchange. Aerial Spraying is covered in Article 9 of the chapter on specific practices and uses, which further discusses information to the public, the protection of aquatic environments and drinking water, reducing risks and uses in specific areas, handling and storage of pesticides and packaging, and integrated pest management. The measure on aerial spraying, and the developments of the law making process outlined in this report, should therefore be acknowledged in the conte...
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