About ENTAM 2.0

ENTAM 2.0 is the network constituted by the dedicated testing stations in those European countries which have signed an agreement on shared activities. These activities have the final purpose of conducting standardized tests on the performance, safety and environmental aspects of agricultural machinery and implements. At the request of the manufacturer, the tests are carried out by specialized test stations.
 
Why ENTAM 2.0
ENTAM 2.0 has taken up the legacy of ENTAM, focusing, at this time, on pesticide application equipment (PAE).
ENTAM 2.0 has a well performing cooperation amongst the most important testing stations in Europe performing voluntary third party testing of pesticide application equipment (PAE) for manufacturers. At the manufacturer’s request, tests are carried out by specialized Testing Stations.
 
The partners involved
The ENTAM 2.0 testing stations are based in Italy (ENAMA Servizi, University of Turin), France (INRAE), Spain (CMA) and Germany (JKI). Austria (BLT) and The Netherlands (SKL) are also present as Observers.
The countries where the ENTAM 2.0 testing stations are situated, are representing those places, where most large and medium size manufacturers of PAE in Europe are located.
 
Advantage for the Manufacturers: machine tested only once and mutual recognition
The advantage of ENTAM 2.0 for manufacturers is that PAE only needs to be tested once, and these tests can then be mutually in other EU member states. The key to this lies in the harmonization of testing procedures and the mutual recognition of test results among ENTAM 2.0 members.
 
20 years and more of close cooperation between partners
Furthermore, the cooperation amongst these partners within the ENTAM framework can look back on a more than 20-years-long, trusting, and successful partnership. Building on this many years of experience, ENTAM 2.0 aims to contribute to the challenges of the future by offering:

• Voluntary certification of conformity of plant protection machinery according to EN/ISO 16119 series.
• Voluntary certification of agronomical and environmental performance of a sprayer/sprayer parts), e.g. spray drift reduction, pesticide savings, dose reduction

 
 
 
ENTAM 2.0 and the challenges of the future
In the context of the EU's goals aiming for a  reduction in pesticide usage and associated risks, ENTAM 2.0 can make a significant contribution to their implementation by giving support especially to those manufactures, which have not own capabilities for testing or those which want to have an independent third party testing on their products. In addition to the existing ENTAM testing of features defined in the harmonized standard EN/ISO 16119, ENTAM 2.0 members also possess extensive experience in characterizing PAE regarding specific attributes such as drift reduction and pesticide savings. These are precisely the features expected from PAE in the future to provide a technical contribution to the realization the EU strategy objectives to reduce pesticide use and its resulting risks. Current ENTAM 2.0 rules allow to realize internal test instructions for the evaluation/certification of new machinery or components when European or international Standards are not yet available.
 
Not only tests
The ENTAM 2.0 experience can also speed up the process of developing harmonized standards whereas they are not available yet.
The evaluation/registration of these specific features, such as drift reduction and pesticide savings, are often regulated by national law and have to be done by third parties. Consequently, these investigations have predominantly been conducted at a national level within the test facilities of ENTAM member states.
 
The vision of ENTAM 2.0
The vision of ENTAM 2.0 members is to harmonize these tests for special attributes so that they can be assessed just once and then recognized mutually in other EU member states. Within this framework, it will be crucial to develop a specific recognition of well-performing machines that address environmental concerns, as such concepts are already in force in some EU member states.
A proposal is to establish a voluntary environmental certification conducted by ENTAM 2.0, ensuring that the machine is suitable for its intended purpose and promotes environmentally friendly practices, thereby assisting countries and stakeholders in better meeting EU targets regarding chemical use and food security.
 
Specific added value to the well performing machines
In this frame it is very important to develop a specific recognition of well performing machines considering environmental issues as some countries already have in force to better meet the EU targets on the use of chemicals as well as those related to food security.
 
In conclusion we strongly believe that …
The testing of agricultural machinery together with a distinctive recognition in many countries is the key answer to provide high quality machinery to the customers at one hand side and to meet the ambitious goals of the European Commission on the other hand side. This will be a benefit for all: manufacturers, farmers and farm contractors.