Rhineland-Palatinate is stopping the application of plant protection products by helicopter in the protected areas of the MoselleApollo butterfly. The state government announced on 2 November 2026 that it would no longer issue exemptions for this in future. On hard-to-reach steep slopes only specially authorised spray drones will be used from the 2027 season. The German Environmental Aid described the decision as the result of years of proceedings and submissions.
The Supervisory and Services Directorate of Rhineland-Palatinate (ADD) has had a formal procedure for drone operations in place since 2022. Binding guidance sets out how to apply, operating times, approved substances and safety distances. According to the ADD, the requirements for the Moselle Apollo area are currently being finalised; the definitive version is to include strict conditions on substances, operating windows, distances and inspections.
In 2026, courts still granted some applications for helicopter spraying in individual urgent proceedings. The Higher Administrative Court of Rhineland-Palatinate and the Koblenz Administrative Court emphasised the complex balancing of plant protection and species conservation, as well as the need for strict conditions. With the policy now announced by the state, the previous option of obtaining exemptions for helicopter use in the affected zones will no longer be available.
Experts have differing views on the change. Supporters point to the greater precision with which drones can be controlled, the potentially smaller quantities applied and the more controllable flight patterns on the steep slopes of the Moselle. Winegrowers’ associations see this as a practical solution for areas that are difficult to reach with machinery. Conservation organisations, however, caution that spray drift caused by air turbulence cannot be ruled out even with drones; they are calling for enforceable safeguards and close monitoring of butterfly populations.
The changes mean that winegrowers and service providers will need to adapt their planning, technology and application procedures. The impact on the natural environment will depend on the details of implementation: in addition to observing safety distances and lists of approved substances, experts identify the timing of treatments, buffer zones around the breeding and development areas of the Moselle Apollo butterfly, and accompanying habitat management as key factors.
Whether the Moselle Apollo butterfly population along the Moselle will measurably recover once helicopter operations end from 2027 remains an open question. The state points to planned monitoring and says it will tighten the requirements if necessary. The ADD intends to adapt its application procedures and inspections in the protected areas accordingly.
Editor: Andreas M. Brucker (Article created with AI assistance).