The Ministry of ecology and natural resources of Ukraine published the Instruction for the total inventory of obsolete and prohibited pesticides and agrochemicals in Ukraine, developed by the experts of the National Centre for Hazardous Waste Management State Enterprise (NCHWM SE) and UNENGO “MAMA-86” in the framework of the international partnership project “Elimination of acute risks of obsolete pesticides in Ukraine.”

The text of the Instruction was published on the web-site of the Ministry of ecology and natural resources of Ukraine. (http://www.menr.gov.ua/content/article/9786 ). The Ministry of ecology and natural resources of Ukraine intends to apply the instruction for submitting applications for funding for the inventory of obsolete pesticides in 2012.

This event is an important stage in the complete cleaning Ukraine from obsolete pesticides.

In Ukraine the problem of obsolete pesticides (NP) is quite topical. The problem of obsolete pesticides (OP) in Ukraine is related mainly to the accumulation since the 70-s of the 20th century of the chemical plant protecting agents (CPPA), banned for usage for their intended purpose and those chemical plant protecting agents, which received the status of obsolete (damage of packaging, loss of labelling etc.).

Since 1999 the UNENGO “MAMA-86” has been actively working on solution of the problem of obsolete pesticides on the territory of Ukraine.

Since May, 2008 till October, 2010 the UNE NGO “МАМА-86” in cooperation with Millieukontakt International Dutch non-governmental organization, financially supported by MATRA Programme of the Royal Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs implemented the international partnership project «Elimination of Acute Risks of Obsolete Pesticides in Ukraine», which became continuation of the campaign for obsolete pesticides, initiated by the UNE NGO “МАМА-86” in 1999. The project was aimed at preventing risks from OP in Ukraine and reducing acute risks from OP in Makariv and Borodyanka districts of Kyiv oblast.

Among the main achievements of the Project were the conclusions about real quantity of obsolete pesticides on Ukraine’s territory.

Basing on the inventory data of OP in two districts of Kyiv oblast, held in the framework of the Project and data of practical results of OP re-packaging, carried out by the departments of the Ministry of ecology and natural resources before transportation of OP for its safe disposal abroad, since 2007 it was officially recognized that the main quantity of OP in Ukraine at least twice exceeds the official statistics.

In order to reveal the real quantity of OP on the territory of Ukraine it is necessary to carry out the general inventory of OP according to the international standards. For this purpose in the framework of the project the relevant Instruction for OP inventory was developed, including requirements to OP inventory works, guidelines for identification of OP, evaluation of risks and ranking of places of accumulation according to the level of danger, safety rules during inventory works etc.

The Instruction involves visit of the inventory Commission to warehouses (or their remnants) in order to reveal the quantity of OP and actual expenditures for providing relevant works for re-packaging and transportation of OP to the places of their safe removal (disposal).

The next important step for complete solution of problem of OP has to become the approval of the National Plan of Implementation of the Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Ukraine by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. This will provide Ukraine with an opportunity to get international financial and technical assistance for complete solution of the OP problem.