Presented by Wilfred Appelman (TNO) at FERTINNOWA's 2nd International workshop "Meeting growers’ needs: Exchanging Technologies on Irrigation and Fertigation" Description: To what point are existing regulations efficient or how regulations deal with the sustainability of the present agricultural production models in terms of water and fertiliser´s use is one of the key questions arising. An inventory of water regulations in Europe, country and region scale, has been performed to detect gaps in policy and possible inconsistencies in its application.

1. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research
and innovation programme under grant agreement No 689687
Workshop on Legislation and Policy on
water and nutrient use in horticulture
Framework, bottlenecks and solution routes
3rd GA 15th November 2017
Wilfred Appelman
Ruth Pérez
Sébastien Guéry
Koen Cochez
Guus Meis

2. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
Introduction
FERTINNOWA´s aim: to enhance and exchange the State of the Art of Fertigation
in the different European regions.
- attention given to the role that policy and legal regulations play in aspects
regarding sustainability and future of improved agricultural systems designed
to optimize the use and water and nutrients for plants, as well as the
concomitant environmental costs.
- Goals of today to exchange thoughts and idea’s of specialists from different
locations and fields of expertise on questions like how to implement the
Polluter Pays Principle or to what extent legislation supports the
implementation of innovative technologies.

3. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
Questions
- To what point are existing regulations efficient? can be applied/should
be developed to handle/stop environmental damage due to fertilizer´s
use in agriculture (could fertigation give us a better picture?).
- What about chemigation --- particularly harmful effects?
- How do regulations deal with unsustainability/sustainability of actual
agricultural model?
- In the case of polluted aquifers, soils, surface water…Should a cost-
recovery framework be established? Has it ever been implemented
somewhere?
- Cases. How? Polluter pays principle?
- What (how) should be the role of FERTINNOWA as driving force for
change.
- How should FERTINNOWA integrate/develop a legal/political
discourse?

4. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
Programme
Part I: Setting the scene
1. Introduction and the EU framework on agriculture, water
and nutrients (Wilfred Appelman, TNO, The Netherlands)
2. Sustainability and legislation of fertilizers´use in european
agriculture (Ruth Pérez, Fundación Nueva Cultura del Agua,
Spain)
3. Sustainable water management in intensive agriculture and
environment (Sébastien Guéry, Ferdoñana, Spain)
4. Emission reduction of Nutrients and Crop Protecting Agents
(Guus Meis, LTO Glaskracht, The Netherlands)
5. Role of the Flemish Land Agency implement innovative
techniques in growing media (Koen Cochez, Vlaamse
Landmaatschappij (VLM), Belgium)
Part 2: Round Table Hour (Moderator Raf de Vis). Discussion on
bottlenecks and suggestions

5. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
Why regulations?
Water use and pollution caused by agricultural activities is one of the most
important environmental issues in Europe.
Agriculture accounts for the largest share of land use in Europe (ca 50 % of
overall land area).
The sector is therefore an important source of environmental pressures.
Agriculture in Europe accounts ‘for around 33 % of total water use’ and is
the ‘largest source of nutrient pollution in water’.

6. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
What aspects are covered?
Discharge
(group 10, 11)
Water
Nutrients
(group 2, 5, 7, 9)
Drain: recycle?
Treatment?
(group 2, 5)
Valorisation ?
Crop protection and
drain/ residues?
(group 11)
Disinfection?
(group 5)
Nutrient Management, Monitoring?
(group 9)
Water supply and storage
(group 1, 2, 3, 4)
Irrigation?
(group 6, 7, 8)
General (all groups)
• Legislation?
• Social Economics?
• Spatial (distance)

7. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
One EU Framework, also a level playing field?
• Water Framework Directive (WFD)
• Sustainable use of pesticides
• EU Strategy to 2020: Water Blueprint and water reuse
• Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)

8. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687

9. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
FERTINNOWA in EUCoverage of regulations
MS
Belgium (Flanders)
France
Germany
Italy
Poland
Slovenia
Spain
The Netherlands
United Kingdom
What do we have currently?
- The EU policy(s) on water, nutrients and crop protecting products
- The national regulatory frameworks of most of the relevant FERTINNOWA MS
Spain
Navarra
Valancia
Andalusia
Extremadura

10. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
T3.3: Inventory of Regulation Observations - EU
EU regulatory Framework on Agro in relation to Water and Nutrients:
- Adresses both concern for food security and environment and water
scarcity (Nitrate Vulnerable Zones – compulsory measures)
- Is high level, CAP (since 1961) vs WFD (since 2000) (and underlying
directives Nitrate, CPP’s)
 CAP: subsidy on ground water extraction (Spain?)
 WFD: taxes possible on water use (not implemented yet)
- IN 2012 EU launched the Water Blue print to close gaps in policy and
regulations
- Currently: new regulation in preparation on Circulair Economy, also
including preparing minimum requirement for reuse of water in
horticulture?, to be introduced in 2017?
- BREF coming ??