There is silence. And this silence is likely to bring a sigh of relief to many parts of the golf industry. The EU Commission‘s Sustainable Use Regulation, which has held Europe’s golf associations spellbound over the past two years with the prospect of a complete ban on the use of pesticides, is apparently no longer an issue. In November 2024, the EU Commission withdrew its proposal to this effect, which would have affected not only sports fields but also numerous other green, garden and open spaces because the opposition from various branches of industry was too strong. To date, it was unclear which proposal the EU Commission would follow up with in 2025.
Only “vision for the agricultural sector”
As things stand today, a new proposal is not in sight. At least that’s what you get when you ask the EU Commission. Although it presented its new vision for agriculture and food at the end of February, it limited itself exclusively to the agricultural sector. There were no statements on all other green and open spaces. And, according to reports, there is “no further information to add.” There are currently no new plans to follow up on the Sustainable Use Regulation.
Current guidelines remain in force
What does this mean for golf courses and other sports facilities? A tightening of the directives, at least from the EU side, is not to be expected for the time being. The existing directives from 2009 on the use of pesticides are still in force. These set out guidelines for measures that are ultimately implemented individually by each country. In practice, this means that the use of pesticides on European golf courses varies considerably, as some countries, such as Denmark and France, are much more restrictive than other EU nations. However, the fact that decisions are made at the national level also means that individual countries can tighten up the regulations – depending on whether this is politically desirable or not.
The European Golf Association, which acts as the representative of the national European golf associations vis-à-vis the EU Commission, is keeping a low profile on the new status quo for the time being. Because the EU Commission’s vision only relates to agriculture, they do not comment on it. “However, the EGA continues to pursue a minimization of the use of pesticides as provided for in the EU’s Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive,” according to a statement from the EGA office.
So the direction in golf continues to be: less pesticides. This is probably also because the whole issue of pesticides is highly political. In practice since the European elections last year, the mood in Parliament has shifted more towards a “pragmatic” sustainability debate, as the Commission itself puts it. However, if the mood within the EU shifts back towards a more ambitious environmental and health policy in the future, the complete ban on pesticides could very quickly become a topic again.
The EU Commission has no intention of abandoning its previous goal: “As President von der Leyen has emphasized, the topic is still relevant, as is the goal of reducing the risks and use of chemical pesticides. However, more dialogue and a different approach are needed to make progress.” This approach will now be taken in agriculture. There is no mention of a different approach for all other green spaces.
Thus, Europe’s golf industry has been given an opportunity to organize itself and develop a strategy for using pesticides. However, the time frame for this opportunity is not defined. The end of pesticide use may never come—or perhaps as early as next year.
