Updating the Code of Good Agricultural Practice under Directive 91/676 regarding protection of waters against nitrate pollution from agriculture

Within the current project conductedby BEC, updated proposals of Code of Good Agricultural Practice (COGAP) have been taken developedto be totally consistentwith codes and regulations of the European Union. The current COGAP is relatively insufficient to address problems of nitrate pollution of surface and groundwater due to agriculture, especially livestock. Based on relevant legal framework, particularly directive 91/676, it became necessary to update the COGAP so that future agricultural practices can protect water bodies from nitrate pollution. Within this framework, BEC conducted a detailed inventory of the present situation and presented applicable methodologies and software for predicting nitrates to recommend measures that should be considered when updating COGAP to reduce future pollution.

Furthermore, methodologies as well as specific model that have been developed and the measures that have been proposed by the BEC, constitute a definitive instrument for the Ministry of Rural Development and Food to be be consistent with the European Regulation regarding nitrates and contributing to environmental protection and sustainable development.

Project duration: 26-05-2011 to 20-05-2012