These Regulations establish an action programme for nitrate vulnerable zones and further implement, as regards Scotland, the requirements in Article 5 of Council Directive 91/676/EEC concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources to establish, review and revise an action programme for nitrate vulnerable zones.
The Regulations require the occupier of a farm in a nitrate vulnerable zone to ensure that the provisions in these Regulations are implemented in relation to that farm. Such provisions concern, among other things: the preparation of an annual fertilizer and manure management plan; storage of manure on the farm; limits and conditions for applying nitrogen fertilizer on the farm and for applying chemical fertilizer and organic manure; closed periods during which specified fertilizer or manure must not be applied on the farm, a minimum period between application of livestock manure; and records to be kept and retained.