Permits for the use of pesticides in water protection areas

Sammanfattning

These guidelines can be used by both supervisory authorities and operators with regard to applications for the use of pesticides in water protection areas The guidelines deal with both the permit authorisation procedure in accord-ance with the water protection regulations established pursuant to Chapter 7, Section 22 of the Environmental Code and in accordance with Chapter 6 of Swedish Environmental Protection Agency regulations (NFS 2015:2) on ap-plication and certain other handling of plant protection products.

The guidelines have been defined so that they relate to the permit authorisa-tion procedure for chemical plant protection products with emphasis on the queries arising with regard to agricultural handling of plant protection prod-ucts. However, use of chemical plant protection products in other fields is also discussed in the guidelines to a certain extent.

The overall purpose of these guidelines is to maintain good raw water quality in our water catchments, free of pesticide residues. The guidelines also aim to pave the way for simpler, more consistent handling of permit applications for the use of pesticides in water protection areas.
The guidelines begin with general information on the regulations with regard to water protection areas and regulations for the use of pesticides. Guidelines on the handling of permit cases, from the receipt of an application to a decision being made, are then provided. The information that should be included in the processing of permit cases, the risk assessment that has to be carried out by the authority, what decisions on permit cases should include and how they should be formulated are all important elements in the handling of permit cases de-scribed in these guidelines.