EU overrules Britain to ban pesticides linked to bee deaths Since our proposal is based on a number of risks to bee health, the commission will go ahead in the coming weeks. I pledge to do my utmost to ensure that our bees, which are so vital to our ecosystem and contribute over €22 billion annually to European agriculture, are protected. The new EU restrictions will apply from December this year for three neonicotinoid pesticides - clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiametoxam - which are used to treat bee-attractive crops such as rape seed. There will be a total ban of the use of the pesticides for all amateur or private gardeners and Homebase, B&Q and Wickes have already removed products containing them from their shelves. Friends of the Earth welcomed the ban as a "significant victory for bees and common sense" and attacked the Government for opposing the new restrictions. "Restricting the use of these pesticides could be an historic milestone on the road to recovery for these crucial pollinators," said Andrew Pendleton, a spokesman. The UK Government's refusal to back restrictions on these chemicals, despite growing scientific concern about their impact, is yet another blow to its environmental credibility. Research by the farming and chemicals industry has found that 50,000 farming jobs could be risk from the new ban which could cost the EU economy £14 billion over the next five years. Friedhelm Schmider, the director general of the European Crop Protection Association, criticised the decision for being taken on the basis of "poor" science. "We are deeply disappointed by this decision," he said. Independent monitoring studies in a number of EU member states have clearly documented that when used correctly neonicotinoid insecticides have no impact at all on bee populations. Recent findings have confirmed that both beekeepers and laboratories see pesticides as a minor cause affecting bee health, far behind diseases and parasites.