A friend of ours told us today that there is a new spot of legislation due with regards to herbiciding

It would appear that you will now have to have a license which can only be acheived by attending a
5 afternoon training course in the correct use and safe practise of herbicides at what cost??
If you don't have the license you will not be able to buy Herbicide!!

And of Coarse the classes will be in Catalan!! Suprise Suprise

Yet another peice of useless money making legislation, which will be hidden under the guise of Health and Safety, but which is really aimed at protectionism, so that you will have to employ a Catalan to herbicide your land for you!!

I can see this backfiring on them

Well they can Bollocks I would sooner go organic or let the land revert back to nature and scrub!!

With the EU grants dissappearing in 2013 and most of the Catalan current landowners getting into their 70's and with  youngsters not even interested in Cultivation or land ownership, it should be an interesting time

What will they do when 70% of the land returns to scrub!!

Maybee that is their plan

Seems unusual to me when every documentary I see talks about the world not being able to feed the growing population after 2030

From what I've seen, the Catalans (and the Spanish), adopt the old adage that "Rules are for the guidance of wise men and the adherance of fools" and they practice that philosophy with gay abandon.  In fact, I think they view it as a sport.  (I'm liking it I can't imagine the day when you won't be able to buy herbicide from somewhere and that the weed police will be doing regular inspections of your land.
Have you ever seen a Spanish builder/labourer wearing protective gear ?  Saw a programme the other night (might have been Coast) where a tractor driver dragging a sprayer was wearing a mask inside a closed cab.  How often have you seen that here ?
Sore point, but what about the legislation on the protection of animals ?

Or you could buy Nen's tractor ?