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Recent developments in EU statistics on pesticides, fertilizers and water

Analyzing recent EU statistics on pesticides, fertilizers, and water to improve environmental policies. Addressing data collection challenges, ensuring consistency, and bridging gaps for sustainable development.

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Recent developments in EU statistics on pesticides, fertilizers and water

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  1. Recent developments in EU statistics on pesticides, fertilizers and water Pierre NADIN

  2. Presentation plan • why is the data important for policy purposes? • some of the (current and foreseen) practical problems in collecting the data • ensuring consistency in international comparisons • any major omissions in the data collected or planned to be collected and how this is being addressed

  3. Why is the data important for policy purposes? • The policy context • Current situation • Improvement needs and proposals

  4. The political context (1) • European Community has to promote a high level of protection and improvement of the quality of the environment • Since 1997, "environmental protection requirements must be integrated into the definition and implementation of the Community policies [...] in particular with a view to promoting sustainable development".

  5. The political context (2) • Cardiff Process (1998) required to integrate environmental considerations into all sector activities • The 2006 Commission Communication on the development of indicators for monitoring the integration of environmental concerns into the common agricultural policy (28 agri-environmental indicators), • Need to measure progress in the integration of environment into Common agricultural policy (DPSIR)

  6. The political context (3) • Input related agri-environmental indicators • 5 Mineral fertiliser consumption • 6 Consumption of pesticides • 7 Irrigation • 8 Energy use • 12 Intensification/ extensification • 15 Gross nitrogen balance • 16 Risk of pollution by phosphorus • 17 Pesticide risk • 18 Ammonia emissions • 19 Greenhouse gas emissions • 20 Water abstraction • 27.1 Water quality – Nitrate pollution • 27.2 Water quality – Pesticide pollution

  7. The political context (4) • Sixth Environment Action Programme (2002-2012) and its 7 thematic strategies towards sustainable development (European Commission 2002). • the Community thematic strategy on the sustainable use of pesticides under adoption • Measure progress towards a more sustainable use of pesticides by means of risk indicators

  8. Current situation at EU level (1) • For pesticides: • mainly sales data from MS. Last EU-15 total available for 2001. • Highly aggregated • Hardly comparable • Not representative of use • Estimated use data from the pesticide industry: 1992-2003 • Not independent • Not fully representative

  9. Current situation at EU level (2) • For Fertilizers: • mainly data from the FAO and industry. • See Robert MAYO’s presentation • For Agricultural Water Use: • Questions in the Farm Structure Survey on • Irrigable area • Irrigated area • Irrigation systems • Water source.

  10. Improvement needs • Indicators require: • More comparable data • More detailed data (by products, crop, etc.) • More regional data • Micro data • GIS related information • Main constraints: • Burdens for farmers and statistical offices • Difficulty to collect • Usability

  11. Improvement proposals • Pesticides • Move from ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ to Regulation • Water • Continue old variables in new survey on agricultural production methods linked to the FSS (Tillage methods, Soil conservation, Actions against erosion and nutrient leaching, Irrigation, Etc.) • Fertilizers • Collect more detailed information at regional and farm level and average use per crop (pilot projects running now) • Refine Nutrient balances (with OECD).

  12. Practical problems in collecting the data (1) • Problems more or less common to all areas • The pesticides’ case is the most detailed and probably the most complex

  13. Practical problems in collecting the data (2) The pesticides’ case • Sales data are cheap and easy to collect • But sales data do not allow proper calculation of risk indicators • Attempts to allocate sales data to crops exist but not precise • Use data considered more accurate

  14. Practical problems in collecting the data (3) The pesticides’ case • Difficulty in collecting use data: • Broad diversity of products and practices • How to collect data: surveys, administrative data, estimations, etc. • Require very well trained surveyors • Conflict control vs. survey • How to define sample frame, sample size, stratification, etc. • Convert products into active substances

  15. Practical problems in collecting the data (4) The pesticides’ case • Need to harmonise: • Define the scope: Plant Protection Products • Determine list of crops • Level of detail: Active substance • With some flexibility • Choice of data collection methods • Use data cover 75% of agricultural sales • Choice of crops to cover • 5 year frequency for use data • Annual sales data

  16. Practical problems in collecting the data (4) The pesticides’ case • Interpreting results: • How to assess non agricultural uses? How to fill-in time gaps? How to compare crops? • Compare sales and use data (+expert judgement and quality reports) • Risk indicators, Dependency indicators or Use indicators? Harmonise indicators. • Link active substances to (eco-)tox data and to exposures.

  17. Practical problems in collecting the data (5) The pesticides’ case • Last but not least: • Length of inter-institutional adoption procedure • First draft early 2004 • Co-decision procedure started 2007 • Adoption: 2007, 2008…?

  18. Ensuring consistency in international comparisons (1) Pesticides. • Scope limited to Plant Protection Products (Dir 91/414/EEC) excluding biocides; • Use data limited to agricultural uses. Crops to be covered as defined in FSS. • Detailed statistics on active substances. • Exhaustive list of authorised AS in the EU • Classification according to BCPC Pesticide Manual • Product categories coherent with OECD classification • Harmonised risk indicators

  19. Harmonised classification

  20. Harmonised classification

  21. Major omissions • The practical compromise: • Data to be compiled only for a representative part of PPP placed on the market; • Limited to agricultural use; • Characteristics: • quantity of each active substance used • by crop during a crop season at country level • area treated.

  22. Major omissions • Regulation does not fulfil all requirements to calculate indicators • BUT • To achieve Regulation Quality requirements surveys undertaken need to collect data in detail • Extra parameters needed by HAIR can be collected at that time

  23. Major omissions

  24. Thanks for your attention • Pierre NADIN (Mr.)European Commission - DG EurostatUnit E-3 - Environment statisticsBECH C4/611L - 2920 LuxembourgPhone: (+352) 4301 36693 - Fax: (+352) 4301 30039E-mail: pierre.nadin@ec.europa.eu • CIRCA web site: http://forum.europa.eu.int/Public/irc/dsis/pip/library

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