Schauvliege, together with minister-president Kris Peeters, was presenting the government’s action plan on the sustainable use of pesticides, according to guidelines from the EU produced in 2009. As well as the zero pesticide target for public places, the plan also involves a wide range of programmes intended to raise awareness among professionals and ordinary members of the public on the benefits of a sustainable pesticide policy.

“To achieve practical success with our preventive approach, it’s important to inform and raise the awareness of a broad segment of the public,” Schauvliege said. “It’s only through concrete measures and advice to people on the ground that we can continue to guarantee the high quality of our drinking water.”

For Peeters, whose portfolio also includes agriculture and rural policy, the action plan manages to balance the demands of health and environment with the needs of agriculture. “With this plan, Flanders aims to further reduce the impact of the use of pesticides on the environment and on public health, without losing sight of their usefulness in agricultural production,” he said.