The Environment Agency and key sponsors of the industry-led Voluntary Initiative (VI) have agreed a partnership approach to implementing the pesticide aspects of the Water Framework Directive.

Recognising the challenges posed by the implementation of the Directive, VI sponsors met recently with the Environment Agency and highlighted the contribution the VI could make. As a result, the VI will work with the Environment Agency using voluntary measures to continue to improve standards of pesticide use and to target specific catchments where pesticides have been identified as posing a risk to the water quality meeting the requirements of the Water Framework Directive objectives.

Press release