Protecting our living spaces Keep urban landscapes, parks and transport corridors healthy, beautiful and safe with Plant Protection Products
Protecting our outdoor amenities Plant Protection Products (PPPs) help to keep various public spaces safe, beautiful and functional. PPPs include herbicides, fungicides and insecticides for nonagricultural uses in outdoor leisure areas, sport fields and golf courses, landscaped areas or gardens, parks and forest. They are also used on transport and commercial spaces such as railways tracks, road shoulders, industrial sites, airport runways or drainage infrastructure.
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These products are different from Crop Protection Products which are used in agriculture to protect harvested products. Amenity PPPs are handled and applied by professional users, such as landscapers, green keepers, town personnel or spraying companies, and as such are not home and garden products.
Why do we need to protect amenities?
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For safety reasons
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For structural integrity
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For better quality of life and environment
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For public health
Railways are very susceptible to weeds. Maintaining tracks free of weeds is essential to good traction and braking distance of trains. On roads, safety is ensured by keeping drains clear, emergency lanes free of vegetation, and road signs perfectly visible.
Deep rooted weeds can severely damage many types of buildings, walls, tarmac and other constructions that are difficult and costly to repair. Heritage sites, monuments and public art need to be properly preserved and perpetuated.
Our urban environment is a treasured asset and deserves a high standard of management. Indeed, citizens enjoy – and need – beautiful parks for exercise or just relaxation. These living spaces need maintenance and protection from weeds, diseases and vermin.
Keeping sidewalks and other areas free of weeds makes them safer and less slippery, but it also eliminates noxious weeds that can cause allergies or injuries. Parks and playgrounds must be kept free of harmful weeds and insects that sting, cut, itch or trip.
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Training and qualifying as a professional user of PPPs for amenities is very rigorous PPPs for amenities are intended to be used only by professionals. As from 2016, all Member States within the European Union will need to have their professional users trained and certified for using PPPs. This also includes users of Amenity PPPs who also need to be informed on the specific properties of amenity areas compared to other PPPs users in the agricultural sector.
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Many countries already have training systems in place with professionals having to follow courses and pass an examination test. The European legislation on the sustainable use of pesticide also imposes to renew the training after 5 years. Any certified professional user will then receive an update on the recent developments on the proper management of PPPs.
Water protection
Stewardship initiatives on the safe use of PPPs are actively supported by manufacturers whose policy is to ensure the use of the right PPP at the right time and dose. The European Water Framework Directive and the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive provide a sound basis for protecting and conserving ground and surface water. This legislation formalises the industry’s long-standing commitment
to safe and environmentally sound use of its products. Users of PPPs in the amenity sectors need to be trained to apply the products in a sustainable manner, thus ensuring the most accurate application and reducing risks of drift and run-off. Industry, for its part, is providing key product stewardship programmes for users in support of this legislation training and howto advice on correct product application.
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Regulatory safety standards Protecting the health of people and the environment Fact file: the regulatory standards at a glance: • PPPs are some of the most highly-regulated products in Europe. • Before a product is authorized for placing on the EU market more than 100 specific tests have to be completed to check its potential effects on human health and the environment. This takes an average of 10 years at a cost of around 1 200 million. • EU regulatory legislation is based on the fundamental principle that it is most important to protect human health and the environment. • Only registered products can be sold in the EU. • During the registration process, specific risks are assessed and taken into account for the use in amenities. • The comprehensive legal framework ensures that appropriate tests are conducted, that the data generated meet highest scientific standards and that local conditions are taken into account. • Extra safety data are required by the regulators when a product is designed for amenity use. • Regular reviews ensure products to meet up-to-date safety standards. • Products are approved only if they are effective, can be applied safely and do not pose any unacceptable risks to human health and the environment.
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About GAPEG The Garden and Amenities Expert Group (GAPEG) is an ECPA working group promoting the sustainable use of PPPs & Biocides in and around the home and garden as well as in public amenity areas such as parks and sports grounds.
Our network Corporate Member Companies
BASF
Bayer CropScience
Dow AgroScience
DuPont de Nemours
Makhteshim Agan
Monsanto Europe
Syngenta
Associate & SME Member Companies
Arysta LifeScience
Certis Europe
Cheminova
Chemtura Europe
FMC
Gowan Company
ISK Biosciences Europe
Janssen Pharmaceutica
Nufarm
SIPCAM
Sumitomo Chemical
Taminco
United Phosphorous Ltd
Full Member Associations
Austria FCIO – Fachverband der Chemischen Industrie Oesterreichs
Belgium Phytofar – Belgische Vereniging voor de Industrie van phytosanitaire producten Association Belge de l’Industrie des Produits Phytosanitaires
Denmark DCPA – Danish Crop Protection Association
France UIPP – Union des Industries de la Protection des Plantes
Germany IVA – Industrieverband Agrar eV
Greece HCPA – Hellenic Crop Protection Association
Ireland APHA – Animal and Plant Health Association
Italy Agrofarma – Associazione nazionale imprese agrofarmaci
Netherlands Nefyto – Dutch Crop Protection Association
Spain aepla – Asociación Empresarial para la Protección de las Plantas
United Kingdom CPA – Crop Protection Association
Group of Nordic Country Associations, Constituting One Member Only
Finland KASTE Kasvinsuojeluteollisuus ry
Norway NPF – Norsk Plantevern Forening
Sweden Svenskt Växtskydd
National Associations as Associate Members
Bulgaria BgCPA – Bulgarian Crop Protection Association NA
Croatia CROCPA – Croatian Crop Protection Association
Cyprus CCPA – Cyprus Crop Protection Association
Czech Republic CCPA – Czech Crop Protection Association
Hungary HuCPA – Hungarian Crop Protection Association
Latvia LAARUTA – Latvian Crop Protection Association
Lithuania LCPA – Lithuanian Crop Protection Association
Romania AIPROM – Romanian Crop Protection Association
Russia AEB – Russian Federation
Serbia SECPA – Serbian Crop Protection Association
Slovak Republic SCPA – Slovak Crop Protection Association
Slovenia SLOCPA – Slovenian Crop Protection Association
Switzerland scienceindustries Business Association Chemistry Pharma Biotech
Turkey ZIMID – Zirai Mücadele Ilaclari Üreticileri Dernegi
Ukraine EBA – European Business Assoc. Agrochemical Committee
Kazakhstan The Kazakhstan Plant Protection Association
Poland Portugal PSOR – Polskie ANIPLA – Associação National Stowarzyszenie Ochrony Ro´slin da Indústria para a Proteçção das Plantas
GAPEG Member Companies (non-agriculture)
BASF
Bayer Environmental Science
COMPO
Dow AgroSciences
Everris
Monsanto Europe
Neudorff
Nufarm
Scotts France
Syngenta
GAPEG Member Associations (non-agriculture)
Spain aepla Asociación Empresarial para la Protección de las Plantas
Belgium Phytofar – Belgische Vereniging voor de Industrie van Phytosanitaire Producten Association Belge de l’Industrie des Produits Phytosanitaire
Italy Agrofarma Associazione nazionale imprese agrofarmaci
France UPJ – Union des entreprises pour la Protection des Jardins et Espaces Verts
The European Crop Protection Association (ECPA) represents the crop protection industry at the European level. Its members include all major crop protection companies and national associations across Europe. ECPA promotes modern agricultural technology in the context of sustainable development; to protect the health of humans and the environment, and to contribute towards an affordable healthy diet, competitive agriculture and a high quality of life. ECPA members support fair, science-based regulation as a guarantee to the consumer, and the crop protection user, of high standards and safe products.
For more information, please contact: ECPA aisbl 6 Avenue E. Van Nieuwenhuyse 1160 Brussels - Belgium Tel: +32 2 663 15 50 Fax: +32 2 663 15 60 E-mail: ecpa@ecpa.eu www.ecpa.eu www.twitter.com/cropprotection www.facebook.com/cropprotection
FSC logo here May 2013