Amendment to the Water Protection Ordinance

At its meeting on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, the government adopted the ordinance on the amendment of the Water Protection Ordinance.

Nitrogen-containing fertilizers may only be applied at times when the plants can absorb the nitrogen. In order to take this into account, the Water Protection Ordinance specifies a period of vegetation rest adapted to the altitude of the application areas, during which the application of nitrogenous fertilizers is prohibited.

As global warming has progressed, temperatures have risen, which means that the previous definition and gradation according to two altitudes for application areas up to 800 m above sea level and above 800 m above sea level is no longer appropriate for climatic conditions. The Water Protection Ordinance has therefore been amended to specify a further altitude level for application areas above 800 to 1200 m above sea level. The vegetation rest period for this altitude is shorter than that for altitudes above 1200 m.a.s.l. It begins on December 1, 2024 and lasts until February 28, 2025.

This adjustment is in line with the 2022 agricultural policy report, which aims, among other things, to give farmers greater flexibility in the management of slopes.

Press contact:

Ministry of Home Affairs, Economy and Environment
Jörg Giezendanner, Office of Environment, Division of Environmental Protection
T +423 236 74 51
[email protected]