Daniel Lesinsky, CEPTA-Slovakia 13.10.2006
Final activities and financial report of the project
“TISFAP - Towards more sustainable pesticides use and transparency”
The project TISFAP was planed to be realized from December 2005 to end of June 2006. During the first half of the year 2006 we found as necessary to extend our expert activities on elaboration and presenting the Effective Pesticide Use, Control and Financing system for the EU – EPUC system. The time for end of realization was extended to October 2006. This prolongation was necessary for thorough and qualitative presentation of results of the project.
Completed activities 1-8:
1.Investigation, evaluation and publication of available official data and information about pesticide residues in Slovakian and Czech food (domestic and imported products, especially products of plant origin) and water (ground, surface, drinking water).
RESULTs:
Pesticides residues in food in Slovakia and Czech republic:
In general we can summarize, that main problems are with imported food. From domestic foods are most contaminated food stuff as strawberries or lettuce.
Fool food reports you can find in attachments.
Pesticides residues in water in Slovakia and Czech :
Generally it was more complicated to find relevant data to water contamination by pesticides as in food. But from available dates we could say, that drinking water is safe for consumers in SK and CZ. Common problem is lack and accuracy of measurement sites and samples as well non flexibility of monitoring system to currently use pesticides – numbers of measured pesticides residues were obsolete pesticides which are not use for more than 20years (as DDT).
Fool reports you will find in attachment.
2. Investigation, evaluation and publication of available official data and information about the monitoring system and the legal framework in both countries.
RESULTs: In both countries are similar problems in effective monitoring of pesticides use: lack of time, place and kind specific control supplemented by lack of actual information on pesticides residues in food, water and environment. Additionally, monitoring systems are underfinanced and they are mostly focused on small number of pesticides, and numbers of them are obsolete pesticides, not used for more than 20 years. One of big problem is also a non sufficient communication among competent stakeholders, state’s institutions of different involved ministries.Public are in general informed very weakly, in Slovakia, for instance it is possible to find data on pesticides residues in food one and half year old summarized in statistic year book of Food research institute. Additionally – you have to ask for the information, they are not fully and free accessible at the web. Results of data we found, food and water reports are publicized at the CEPTA webpage.
We published also press release and leaflet “Do we know what we eat?” you find in attachment.
On-line information system is one of results of the proposed project PEPOZ (more about bellow the report)
3.Evaluation of the transparency and participation of stakeholders regarding this issue.
RESULTs:
The situation in Slovakia is in this field critical – data are not freely accessible and if you get some data on request, they are often more than 1 year old. For solution of this situation we initiated and facilitated preparation of the project PEPOZ - Pesticides in environment and human health”. The project brings together institutions of 3 ministries (health, agriculture and environment) + research and public sector into the 3 years project improving the monitoring, reporting. Just its phase of preparation had very positive results in numbers of meetings and communication among all stakeholders in Slovakia. Approval of the project is expected by end of October/November 2006.
If the project will be approved, its give a real tools for improvement the pesticides use and making public the problem of pesticides residues in Slovakia, what gives the space for reporting and medialization of the pesticides monitoring issue. More about the project PEPOZ you will find bellow the Final activities report.
This issue is partly evaluated also in national reports on pesticides in food and in water which could be found in attachment. Data are available, but they are not timely and usually, they have to be requested.
4.Publication, dissemination of materials (brochure, leaflet or briefing) in English and Slovakian language.
RESULTs:
4.1 EPUC system – the poster:Based on our experience we broaden the scope of our publication, which planed to be focused just on monitoring, as the monitoring could not be effectively solved alone. Pesticides effective use and control is a complex problem of monitoring, control, reporting, financing and information system. Therefore we developed the model of an Effective Pesticide Use, Control and Financing system for the EU – EPUC system.
The EPUC system – is focused on complex development of monitoring, reporting,
control, informing and financing of the pesticides use. It was presented as the poster at the international conference in Bologna, the poster you will find in attachment.
4.2 Briefing:Simultaneously, based on the communication with experts from different European countries and USA we elaborated extensivepublication - briefing: “Towards sustainable Pesticides use in Europe?” which is focused on effective Pesticide (and Biocide) Use, Control and Financing – extended EPUC system in the European Union.
Publication: The briefing “Towards sustainable Pesticides use in Europe?” (10 pages) we disseminated around the European NGOs (EEB pesticides list) and you will find in attachment.
5.Organization of and contribution to meetings, conferences, workshops, or other events regarding the issue.
RESULTs:
- Preparing the national project PEPOZ,coordinating all important players in pesticides use and residues in Slovakia: representativesfrom national agricultural control institute (UKSUP); national food control institute (SVPS); water control institute (SHMU), state health institute (), food research institute (VUP), Faculty of Ecolgy and Environmental Sciences (FEE - TUZVO) and non governmental organization CEPTA as the facilitator of the project.
We organized several bilateral and multilateral meetings of project participants, and in end of March 2006 successfully submitted a common project “Pesticides in Food and Environment” – PEPOZ, focusing on monitoring, good agricultural practice, control, reporting and advisory system on pesticides use for farmers as well as information system on residues for consumers. Short description of the project you will find bellow the Final activities report.
- Organization of common conference with PAN-Germany in June 2006 in Harmonia:
The seminar “Pesticides in food” organized by CEPTA and PAN-Germany on 23- 24 June 2006 inModra, Slovakia was in bigger part co-financed by PAN-Germany.
Two days seminar with excursion attended over 30 representatives from 8 different European countries. At the first day – conference day, we heard lectures presented by experts on pesticides residues from different fields as food legislation, monitoring, research....
Full report of the conference you can find in attachment.
6. Lobby activities in Slovakia (if possible in Czech Republic) and the EU (responsible administration, government, MEPs).
RESULTs:
EU level:
6.1“Nasty 8” case (Jan/Feb. 2006), calls and letters to Slovak representative. The result - Slovakia voted against “Nasty 8”
6.2lobbing for stronger support of sustainable agriculture schemes (organic farming, non chemical farming, Integrated pest/crop management etc.) in the Common agricultural policy, Rural development plan 2007-2013 at EU level. (our comments as common comments of NGOs were in December 2005 sent to the commission)
6.3We adopted organizational CEPTA´s priorities in pesticides EU campaign for next 3 years, which are also available on the CEPTA web. You will find it attachment.
National level:
6.4coordination of the project “Pesticides in environment and human health” - PEPOZ*preparation, involving institutions of 3 ministries(health, agriculture and environment) + research and public sector into the 3 years project improving the monitoring, reporting and information system concerning pesticides residues in food and water. Numbers of bilateral and multilateral meetings during preparation the project proposals
6.5coordination of the national platform of 18 Slovak NGOs – Agro-eko forum promoting sustainable agriculture in national agricultural policy.
6.6lobbing for stronger support of sustainable agriculture schemes (organic farming, non chemical farming, Integrated pest/crop management etc.) in Slovak agricultural policy, Rural development plan 2007-2013 at national level. (we taking part in stakeholders meeting and our final comments were sent to the ministry in 6th March 2006)
6.7Communicating, inviting and cooperating with state officials on preparation of the international seminar on Pesticides residues in food in Harmonia, Modra – June 2006.
7.Cooperation with PAN Germany regarding information transfer, dissemination of materials, awareness raising campaign and lobby activities on European level.
RESULTs:
- cooperation with PAN Germany – residues in food and water reports + preparation of common “FOOD seminar” in Harmonia Centre on 23- 24 June 2006 inModra, Slovakia.
8. Additional, important RESULTof the project is a successful launch of the web site reporting CEPTA activities, which is continuously updated and broaden.
Financial report of TISFAP project, CEPTA 2006:
Breakdown of costs / Costs (US Dollar) / Costs (Euro) / Costs (Euro)Plan / plan / real spending
Staff / 4136,83 / 3500 / 3453,33
Program Coordination
7 months x 500
16 hours per week
Office / 1418,34 / 1200 / 1782,15
Administration
(office costs, telephone, internet)
Travel / 945,56 / 800 / 582,67
Publications / meetings /
web-page / 1772,92 / 1500 / 1313,01
Total / 8273,65 / 7000 / 7131,16
Currency rate: 1 Euro = 1,18195 US$; 1st December 2005
:1 Euro = 37,5 SKK
Budget covered by
Global Greengrant Fund (GGF):4000,00 US$ / 3384,24 Euro
Rausing Trust:4136,83 US$ / 3500,00 Euro
CEPTA:137,00 US$ /115,76 Euro (real: 131,3 Euro)
Attachments:
1-4 Food and water reports – results of Slovak and Czech investigation on food and water monitoring of pesticides residues
5 –Press release :”Do we know what do we eat”
6 – Leaflet: ”Do we know what do we eat”
7 – Poster EPUC system - “Effective Pesticide Use, Control and Financing system for the EU”
8 – Briefing: ““Towards sustainable Pesticides use in Europe?”
9 – Report from seminar “Pesticides in food” in Harmonia, Modra, Slovakia
10 - CEPTA priorities in pesticides EU campaign for next 3 years
11 – Expenditure sheet of the project
12 – Expenditures documentations (bills, invoices …)
*
The project PEPOZ, short description
Name of the project: Pesticides in environment and human health
Acronym: PEPOZ
Duration: 2007-2009
Project PEPOZ is project joining different competent bodies and public sector in aim to minimize negative impacts of pesticides. The aim has several targets from which most important are:
- develop an effective and flexible monitoring system of pesticides (sale, use and residues in environment and food) based on implementation of the in-time reporting obligation for pesticides users, preferably in vulnerable zones and broader cooperation with EU countries in data exchange concerning pesticides residues in food (not only exceeding MRLs)
- strengthen the transparency by addressed and timely information for all stakeholders
- Reducing the negative impact of pesticides on environment and human health by stronger propagation, enforcement and control of the Good Agricultural Practice and less adverse plant protection schemes.
In the project PEPOZ participate 7 national partners including agriculture, environment, health sector as well as research and public sector, its planed duration is from 1st January 2007 till 31st December 2009. The budget of project is over 800 000 EURO, the call is founded by the EEA Financial Mechanism and The Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2004-2009.
The project partners:
1.CEPTA - Centre for Environmental Alternatives (NGO);
2.Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, TechnicalUniversity in Zvolen;
3.Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute,
4.Central Controling and Testing Institute in Agriculture (UKSUP),
5.Food Research Institute,
6.State Health Institute of the Slovak Republic,
7. State veterinary and food administration
For more information, please contact the coordinator of project PEPOZ - Dr. Daniel Lesinsky, .
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