Royal Decree 1311/2012 on the sustainable use of plant protection products.

Royal Decree 1311/2012, of September 14, establishing the framework for achieving sustainable use of plant protection products.

Official State Gazette, No. 223 of September 15, 2012, pages 65127 to 65171 (45 pages).

Article 38. Transport of plant protection products.

  1. Without prejudice to the provisions of legislation on the transport of dangerous goods, the transport of plant protection products using the means owned by the farm operator, or, where applicable, by the person or company requiring treatments with professional plant protection products, shall be carried out in such a way that spills cannot occur.
  2. In particular, and in order to comply with paragraph 1, containers shall be transported closed, positioned vertically with the opening upwards, the load shall be properly organized and secured in the transport vehicle, and supports with splinters or sharp parts that could damage the containers shall not be used.
  3. Whenever alternative routes are available nearby, crossing watercourses with the treatment equipment loaded with the mixture of plant protection product shall be avoided.

Article 40. Storage of plant protection products by users.

  1. Plant protection products for professional use shall be stored in ventilated cabinets or rooms with locks, to keep them out of reach of third parties, especially minors.
  2. The premises where the cabinets or rooms referred to in paragraph 1 are located, or the premises themselves when solely used for storing plant protection products, shall meet the following conditions:
    a) They shall be separated by a brick wall from any inhabited premises and equipped with sufficient ventilation, natural or forced, with outdoor outlets.
    b) They shall not be located near surface water bodies or water extraction wells, nor in areas prone to flooding in case of rising water levels.
    c) They shall have adequate means to collect accidental spills.
    d) They shall have a container fitted with a plastic bag to isolate damaged containers, empty containers, product residues, and residues from any accidental spills that may occur, until they are delivered to the corresponding waste management facility.
    e) Safety advice and emergency procedures, as well as emergency contact numbers, shall be prominently displayed.
  3. The cabinets or rooms referred to in paragraph 1 shall be located in areas of the premises free from moisture, and as protected as possible from extreme temperatures. Their location shall ensure the separation of plant protection products from other items in the warehouse, especially plant material and products for human or animal consumption.
  4. Plant protection products shall be stored closed, in an upright position with the closure upwards, and with the original label intact and perfectly legible. Once opened, if not all of the contents are used, the remainder shall be kept in the same container, with the cap closed and the original label intact and legible.
  5. The provisions of this article apply exclusively to warehouses that, as is usually the case on agricultural holdings, are not covered by the scope of application of Royal Decree 379/2001, of April 6, approving the Regulation on the storage of chemical products and its complementary technical instructions MIE APQ-1, MIE APQ-2, MIE APQ-3 MIE APQ-4, MIE APQ-5, MIE APQ-6 MIE APQ-7.

Article 41. Residues and containers of plant protection products in the agricultural sector.

  1. Except where devices are available that make it unnecessary, each empty container of liquid plant protection product emptied during preparation and loading shall be rinsed manually three times, or by pressure device, and the resulting water shall be poured into the treatment equipment tank.
  2. Empty containers shall be stored in a bag stored in accordance with the provisions of Article 40.2.d) until they are transported to the collection point.
  3. The farmer shall keep proof of having delivered the empty containers of plant protection products to the corresponding collection point, in accordance with Article 16.3.
  4. This article shall apply without prejudice to the provisions of Article 51 for non-agricultural uses, and Royal Decree 1416/2001, of December 14, on packaging of plant protection products.

Article 43. Structure and operation of the Register.

  1. The information in the Register is structured into four sections corresponding to each of the groups of activities referred to in Article 42.2.
  2. Likewise, in accordance with the provisions of Articles 40 and 41 of the Law, the aforementioned activities in each section are broken down into:
    a) In the supplying sector: (…) 4th Logistics, including transport and storage, if carried out as a separate independent activity, on behalf of the marketing operator or distributor.

Annex IV
Training Subjects
Part A: Basic Level (minimum 25 hours of instruction) (…) 7. Correct sequence during transport, storage, and handling of plant protection products. (…) 22. Regulations affecting the use of PP: Purchase, transport, and storage. Authorization and registration of plant protection products, and how it affects their use.
Part C: Fumigator (minimum 25 hours of instruction) (…) 3. Transport, storage, and handling of fumigants.