“Time really is running out”. This is the often used by-lline a tabloid paper may use to draw your attention to an issue they are trying to make you care about; to make you read the two or three hundred words they have drafted to get you ‘involved’ and ‘caring’. And, honestly, time is running out! The EU thematic strategy is heading


towards its second reading in the European parliament. MEPs will then get to vote on the proposed replacement for the directive EU 91/414. (If this is a dry read so far and, if I’m losing you, please bear with me for twenty eight or so more words). In this reading the substantive changes proposed will define what control products are to remain and where they can be used, on YOUR sports turf. They are proposing to severely restrict what is available to you to manage pests, weeds and diseases in your managed turf. And I make no apologies for the


illustration being a little ‘over the top’ as, hopefully, it will have made you read this far. This threat to our industry is a very serious one indeed!


How did we get here?


What has happened to cause the people that legislate on our behalf in Brussels to


think that a draconian restriction on the use of pesticide products in certain situations will best serve the public? The answer to this is complicated, but


I’ll try and make it simple. Firstly, there is concern for human health -t


the risk of


exposure, however small, to control products. Secondly, there is concern that the quality of the environment is compromised by using these products.


“What has happened to cause the people that legislate on our behalf in Brussels to think that a draconian restriction on the use of pesticide products in certain situations will best serve the public?”


Thirdly, there is NO concern for the consequences of removing control options which are currently relied upon to provide reliable and cost effective control in urban environments and sports turf. Regrettably, the proposals to remove, restrict and limit your options offer no


replacement solutions and take no account of the consequences of the proposals. It will be the people like us who manage, create and maintain the green spaces and urban environments that will be left to sort out the mess. And yes -iit will be a mess. The human health and environmental


issues are very similar in cause. The injudicious use of pesticides has resulted in their detection in ground waters. This, in the low lying countries of Europe such as the Netherlands and Denmark, has serious implications as, unlike the UK, they take most of their drinking water from ground sources. So, contamination, however small is an issue. Add to this a well supported, well motivated and very vocal green lobby, that could be said to punch well above its weight in terms of influence, and you get the general picture that the agenda for the new EU thematic strategy is not the product of pragmatism, but more of dogmatic opposition. It’s a little like vegetarians getting to vote on whether the general population should be allowed to eat meat. Lets hope our MEPs have the sense to listen to reason and let pragmatism prevail. Part of the concern for human health


“It’s a little like vegetarians getting to vote on


whether the general population should be allowed to eat meat”


By Paul Cawood, Business Development Manager, Languard Ltd.


TIME IS RUN


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