Use of plant protection products in areas with the potential to damage aquatic environments and harm non-target aquatic organisms

Draft Decree of the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region banning pesticides in areas with the potential to damage aquatic environments and harm non-target aquatic organisms.

The aim of the draft decree is to extend the list of protected areas, as set out in Article 8, § 1 of the Order of 20 June 2013 on the sustainable use of pesticides in the Brussels-Capital Region, where the use of plant protection products is banned in order to reduce the risks for aquatic environments and non-target aquatic organisms.

The Government of the Brussels-Capital Region is given the power to do so by Article 8, § 3 of the aforementioned order.

Article 1 of the draft decree thus proposes extending the list of specific areas where the use of plant protection products is banned to include the areas for which a buffer zone is provided as a precautionary measure (Article 8, § 2 of said order). These areas are as follows:

- i) areas of surface water and the banks thereof (along which a buffer zone of at least six metres beyond the peak of the bank is provided for in Article 8, § 2(1) of the order);

- ii) covered, uncultivable land connected to a rainwater collection network (along which a buffer zone of one metre is provided for by Article 7, § 2(2) of the order);

- iii) loose, permanently uncultivated ground that is subject to runoff owing to a gradient of at least 10 % and directly adjoins either an area of surface water or covered, uncultivable land connected to a rainwater collection network (along which a buffer zone of one metre beyond the slope break is provided for in Article 7, § 2(3) of the order).