Last update: 15/06/2006

Environmental effects control plan

The Agreement of 8 May, 2003 between the Minister for Health, the Minister for the Environment and Territorial Protection, the Regions and Autonomous Provinces of Trento and Bolzano for the adoption of national three-year plans for sanitary and environmental surveillance of the effects of plant protection products (Official Gazzette no. 121 of 27-5-2003), which implements what was already provided by Legislative Decree no. 194 of 17 March 1995, makes APAT responsible for coordinating surveys of the “Plan to control and evaluate the eventual effects caused by the use of plant protection products in vulnerable environmental sectors”.

The plan regards the three-year period 2003–2005 and has the main aim of assessing the presence of residues and plant protection product concentration levels in surface and underground waters. The APAT is required to: give guidelines to Regions which have to implement the plan; collect, process and evaluate results; prepare an annual report on the surveys and draw conclusions and formulate proposals for precautionary measures against any eventual unwanted effects caused by these substances.

The plan intends to contribute to the definition of an adequate information framework for the prevention of risks caused by plant protection products. This can be done even through the realization of a national information management system which does not exist in this field. It can also be used to harmonize regional monitorization systems.

The Agency carried out its coordination duty by preparing informative documentation and creating a data transmission system.