Brussels, 08/09/2008 (Agence Europe) - As part of the thematic strategy for the sustainable use of pesticides, on Friday 5 September, the Commission brought forward a proposal for a directive amending the current provisions on machinery for pesticide application (directive 2006/42/EC). The aim is to ensure that new machinery for applying pesticides does not unnecessarily harm the environment. To this end, the proposal introduces additional environmental requirements to be met by new machinery for pesticide application before being put on the market and/or put into service in the EU. The Commission notes that harmonisation of requirements for such machinery is a prerequisite for ensuring a high standard of protection while ensuring the free movement of such goods in the Community. It highlights too that “well designed, constructed and maintained machinery for pesticide application plays a significant role in reducing the adverse impacts of pesticides on human health, in particular on the operators of the machinery, and on the environment”. The text of the proposal can be found at http: //eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM: 2008: 0535: FIN: EN: PDF (O.L./transl.rt)