Poison course for amateur gardeners is buried

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Hobby gardeners don’t have to go to a poison course anyway. Because the Federal Council tightened the admission rules for plant protection products at the beginning of this year, the Council of States no longer wants to hear about additional rules for hobby gardeners. He considers the request of the green Basel bidder Maya Graf fulfilled. Mandatory courses are therefore off the table.

With the motion, Graf had demanded that hobby gardeners should only use pesticides if they had received the correct training. In addition, recreational gardeners should have used only non-toxic products listed by the federal government. These may only be sold in small containers. The National Council subsequently defused the motion.

Federal Council changed the law

He wanted non-professional users to only buy pesticides if they were adequately trained in their use. He canceled the other demands. The Economic Commission of the Council of States deemed the watered-down motion no longer necessary in view of the Pesticides Ordinance amended at the beginning of 2023.

Since the beginning of this year, plant protection products may no longer be authorized for private use if they pose a health risk, are toxic or very toxic to aquatic organisms or pose a risk to bees, the committee writes with the application.

Hundreds of thousands would have taken the course

In their view, implementing the motion would create too much bureaucracy. After all, the regulations would also have consequences for balcony and indoor plants, according to spokesman Peter Hegglin (Zug, middle). Health Minister Alain Berset also warned that hundreds of thousands of courses would have to be taken.

Graf, in turn, called for an information campaign about the new regulations. Every year, 200 tons of pesticides are sold to private users. The need for action is still very great. Berset assured that the federal government maintains a list of applicable funds that can be viewed and continually updated on the Internet. (SDA)

Source:Blick