Act amending Acts on buffer zones and environment (No. 726 of 2014).

The Act partly amends Act No. 591 and Act No. 932 with regard to the scope of application and consultancy on water plan proposals.In Act No. 591, the insertion of a ban to land fertilization in a 10 meters' buffer zone from the width of surface waterbodies of more than 100 square meters in size (with exception of areas used for forestry, gardens, and dykes). Marginal zone areas in buffer zones will account for more than 5% of the total area at the time of this Act's entry into force. The Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries shall authorize a proportional reduction of the buffer zone's size in order to adapt to this criteria.In Act No. 932, water plans cannot be adopted before changes have been publicly notified for at least 8 weeks. The Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries may provide a mechanism whereby a transitional period will be granted to harvest crops in buffer zones along water streams, however not before 1 August 2014. Exception is made to submitted request for proportionate reduction of marginal zone width however not yet completed at the time of entry into force of the Act. For such applications, previous rules will apply.

Amends: Act on buffer zones (ecotones) (No. 591 of 2011). (2011-06-14)
Amends: Environmental Act (No. 119 of 2017). (2017-01-26)