site.btaMinister Vatev Vows to Reduce Use of Glyphosate, Agrolink Reports

Agriculture and Food Minister Kiril Vatev has sent a statement to the Forthenature.org coalition regarding a ban and restrictions on the use of the active substance glyphosate, saying that the use of glyphosate will be restricted or prohibited in sensitive areas and by non-professionals, reported the Agrolink Association, which is part of the coalition.

Most of these restrictions and bans were proposed by Forthenature.org in an open letter sent to the responsible institutions in Bulgaria and their 2020 petition, and include aerial spraying; the use of glyphosate as a desiccant or defoliant before harvest of agricultural crops; the use of glyphosate for the treatment of water channels; glyphosate application in areas used by the general public or by vulnerable groups, such as public parks and gardens, sports and recreation grounds, school and children's playgrounds, as well as in the immediate vicinity of health and educational facilities; glyphosate application in protected zones.

An opinion of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food also states that Bulgaria supports the continuation of research on glyphosate, which aims to analyze its potential toxicity on living organisms, considering that the decision on the further fate of this active substance should be informed, expert and responsible, taking into account the attitudes of all interested parties of the Bulgarian public - citizens, non-governmental organizations and farmers.

Forthenature.org indicated that they expect the formation of a working group to create a regulatory framework for the regulation of the ban, including clauses for control over the implementation of the specific bans and restrictions.