The stakeolder consultation process in developing training and awareness raisin material within the framework of the eu directive on sustainabler use of pesticide: the case of eu project browse

In September 2009, the Council of the European Union adopted the Directive on Sustainable Use of Pesticides\r\nSUD). The core idea is that in order to achieve sustainable use of pesticides, it is necessary that everyone is\r\nconscious about the risks to both human health and the environment associated with the use of plant protection\r\nproducts. Therefore, in the SUD, training and raising awareness play key roles in order to achieve the objectives\r\nof the directive. In this sense, the European-founded project BROWSE (Bystanders, Residents,\r\nOperators and WorkerS Exposure models for plant protection products) has, as one of its main objectives,\r\nto contribute to the implementation of the SUD through the development and dissemination of communication\r\nmaterials for training and raising awareness. For this reason, a consultation process was implemented\r\ninvolving all relevant stakeholders in order to identify their opinions regarding the subjects to be prioritised,\r\nthe factors influencing pesticide exposure to be focused on and the most suitable formats to develop training\r\nand awareness-raising material as well as identification of target groups. To collect the required information,\r\nparticipants were asked to answer an electronic questionnaire (giving the possibility through several debates\r\nfor additional comments). The collected findings and the ensuing debates are described in this article and are\r\ngoing to be taken into account in the development of the BROWSE training and communication material for\r\nthe raising of awareness.