29 Apr The EU partially bans three pesticides that harm bees
Activists and beekeepers are demonstrating to ask the European Union to approve a ban on pesticides that threaten bees, in Brussels, Belgium, today, Monday April 29, 2013. The 27 countries decide today whether to veto for two years the use of pesticides that contribute to the decline of populations of this insect.
Brussels, The European Commission (EC) announced today that it will continue its plan to ban the use of three neonicotinoid pesticides that contribute to the decline of bee colonies, seen as vital to the ecosystem, supporting its proposal are a majority of EU countries.
Member State experts spoke today on the proposal in Brussels and did not reach a qualified majority for or against the initiative, so that in the absence of agreement corresponds to the EC to decide on the adoption of the proposed restriction, said the EU executive.
In total, fifteen Member States voted today in favor, two more than in previous ballot in March: Spain, Germany, France, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Malta, Netherlands, Poland and Sweden.
Against it were eight countries: United Kingdom, Italy, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia.
„Although now a majority of Member States supported the proposal, the required qualified majority was not achieved. The decision is now up to the Commission,“ said European Health Commissioner, Tonio Borg.
Borg stressed that „since our proposal is based on several risks to bee health identified by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the Commission will continue its dialogue in the coming weeks“.
The commissioner recalled that bees are „vital to our ecosystem“ in order to encourage pollination, and that their annual contribution to European agriculture is estimated at over 22,000 million euros.
The origin of the EU proposal is an EFSA report published in January that relates the use of neonicotinoid insecticides, nicotine-derived substances with high mortality suffered in bee colonies.
In particular, the EC suggests to modify the conditions of approval of three derivatives of some pesticides: thiamethoxam, imidacloprid and clothianidin, to restrict their use to crops that do not attract bees and winter cereals, since the exposure to pesticides during the fall is not considered dangerous.
Furthermore, it raises the possibility to prohibit the sale and use of seed „treated“ with products containing these three substances (excluding in this case the seeds of plants that do not attract these insects and winter cereals).
Exceptions are limited to the possibility of treating crops in greenhouses or outdoor fields only after flowering.
The EC said that restrictions would apply from the 1st of December and as soon as there was information available, and no later than a maximum of two years, shall review the conditions of approval of these three substances to „take into account relevant scientific and technological developments“.
The chairman of the Environmental Committee of the European Parliament, the German Social Democrat Matthias Groote, celebrated in a statement the EC decision, but warned that „there are still details to know“ to understand exactly how the neonicotinoids affect bees, and said that these substances are not the only threats to these insects.
For its part, the French MP Sandrine Bélier Greens stressed that this decision is only „a first step“, considering that these pesticides should be banned „totally“ for the proper recovery of the bees.
Meanwhile, the British Liberal Chris Davies said that „there is sufficient evidence“ to believe that neonicotinoids harm pollinators.
Greenpeace also celebrated the decision in a statement, which went ahead despite the „pressure“ exerted by the pesticide manufacturing companies like Syngenta, Bayer and BASF.
Associations of beekeepers and environmental organizations such as Avaaz demonstrated today outside the EU institutions in Brussels to demand a veto against the use of such substances.
| Agencia EFE