Regulierung des Pestizideinsatzes in Schutzgebieten - Rechtliche Bewertung und Empfehlungen anhand der Rechtslage auf Bundesebene sowie in Baden-Württemberg, Niedersachsen und Sachsen

Pesticides are used to destroy or deter undesirable plants, animals, and fungi from fields, pastures, forests, or individual plants, whereby they also directly or indirectly damage or impair non-target organisms. Their use in or near protected areas is therefore in particular conflict with nature conservation objectives and law. A study on behalf of the Federal Environment Agency has now examined the extent to which federal and regional law (including protected area regulations) regulate, restrict, or prohibit pesticide use in protected areas. The result is sobering, since both federal law and the considered regional law (as well as the vast majority of the evaluated 1,756 protected area regulations) do not ensure protection under European law for Natura 2000 sites, especially with regard to the use of pesticides in the context of agricultural, forestry, and fisheries. Pesticides are also regularly not prohibited in many nature reserves and outside the core zones of national parks and biosphere reserves. Based on this finding, the authors developed recommendations for a graduated federal regulation for the four types of protected areas.

The result is sobering, since both federal law and the considered regional law (as well as the vast majority of the evaluated 1.756 protected area regulations) do not ensure protection under European law for Natura 2000 sites, especially with regard to the use of pesticides in the context of agricultural, forestry, and fisheries. Pesticides are also regularly not prohibited in many nature reserves and outside the core zones of national parks and biosphere reserves. Based on this finding, the authors developed recommendations for a graduated federal regulation for the four types of protected areas.