An apparatus for applying liquid active substances, comprising: - a carrier vehicle, - at least one spray boom, which is arranged so as to be pivotable at least about one pivot axis, - at least one sensor arrangement for detecting a pivoting speed and/or a pivoting position of the spray boom about the pivot axis with respect to a reference plane and/or with respect to a ground surface, - a control device, which processes output signals of the at least one sensor arrangement to form control signals and is designed to influence or control the spray boom in its pivoting position and/or pivoting speed by means of at least two coupled control loops, comprising an inner control loop and an outer control loop, - at least one actuator (26; 28), which influences the momentary pivoting position of the spray boom about the pivot axis on the basis of control signals of the control device, wherein - a setpoint value and/or setpoint torque for the at least one actuator (26; 28) is generated by the control device from the output signals of the at least one sensor arrangement in the outer control loop, and wherein an actual torque and/or actual value, which moves and/or influences the spray boom and is based on actuator deflections and/or control signals of the at least one actuator (26; 28), is detected in the inner control loop and is used for generating a correction value for achieving the setpoint torque and/or setpoint value, characterized in that, on the basis of the setpoint presetting of the outer control loop, the inner control loop controls the actual torque or the actual actuating force that is actually introduced into the spray boom by the at least one actuator. - a carrier vehicle, - at least one spray boom, which is arranged so as to be pivotable at least about one pivot axis, - at least one sensor arrangement for detecting a pivoting speed and/or a pivoting position of the spray boom about the pivot axis with respect to a reference plane and/or with respect to a ground surface, - a control device, which processes output signals of the at least one sensor arrangement to form control signals and is designed to influence or control the spray boom in its pivoting position and/or pivoting speed by means of at least two coupled control loops, comprising an inner control loop and an outer control loop, - at least one actuator (26; 28), which influences the momentary pivoting position of the spray boom about the pivot axis on the basis of control signals of the control device, wherein - a setpoint value and/or setpoint torque for the at least one actuator (26; 28) is generated by the control device from the output signals of the at least one sensor arrangement in the outer control loop, and wherein an actual torque and/or actual value, which moves and/or influences the spray boom and is based on actuator deflections and/or control signals of the at least one actuator (26; 28), is detected in the inner control loop and is used for generating a correction value for achieving the setpoint torque and/or setpoint value, characterized in that, on the basis of the setpoint presetting of the outer control loop, the inner control loop controls the actual torque or the actual actuating force that is actually introduced into the spray boom by the at least one actuator.