The world’s most widely used insecticides will be banned from all fields within six months, to protect both wild and honeybees that are vital to crop pollination

The European Union will ban the world’s most widely used insecticides from all fields due to the serious danger they pose to bees.

The ban on neonicotinoids, approved by member nations on Friday, is expected to come into force by the end of 2018 and will mean they can only be used in closed greenhouses.

Bees and other insects are vital for global food production as they pollinate three-quarters of all crops. The plummeting numbers of pollinators in recent years has been blamed, in part, on the widespread use of pesticides. The EU banned the use of neonicotinoids on flowering crops that attract bees, such as oil seed rape, in 2013.

But in February, a major report from the European Union’s scientific risk assessors (Efsa) concluded that the high risk to both honeybees and wild bees resulted from any outdoor use, because the pesticides contaminate soil and water. This leads to the pesticides appearing in wildflowers or succeeding crops. A recent study of honey samples revealed global contamination by neonicotinoids.

Vytenis Andriukaitis, European commissioner for Health and Food Safety, welcomed Friday’s vote: “The commission had proposed these measures months ago, on the basis of the scientific advice from Efsa. Bee health remains of paramount importance for me since it concerns biodiversity, food production and the environment.”

The ban on the three main neonicotinoids has widespread public support, with almost 5 million people signing a petition from campaign group Avaaz. “Banning these toxic pesticides is a beacon of hope for bees,” said Antonia Staats at Avaaz. “Finally, our governments are listening to their citizens, the scientific evidence and farmers who know that bees can’t live with these chemicals and we can’t live without bees.”

Martin Dermine, at Pesticide Action Network Europe, said: “Authorising neonicotinoids a quarter of a century ago was a mistake and led to an environmental disaster. Today’s vote is historic.”

However, the pesticide manufacturers and some farming groups have accused the EU of being overly cautious and suggested crop yields could fall, a claim rejected by others. “European agriculture will suffer as a result of this decision,” said Graeme Taylor, at the European Crop Protection Association. “Perhaps not today, perhaps not tomorrow, but in time decision makers will see the clear impact of removing a vital tool for farmers.”

The UK’s National Farmers’ Union (NFU) said the ban was regrettable and not justified by the evidence. Guy Smith, NFU deputy president, said: “The pest problems that neonicotinoids helped farmers tackle have not gone away. There is a real risk that these restrictions will do nothing measurable to improve bee health, while compromising the effectiveness of crop protection.”

A spokesman for the UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs welcomed the ban, but added: “We recognise the impact a ban will have on farmers and will continue to work with them to explore alternative approaches.” In November, UK environment secretary Michael Gove overturned the UK’s previous opposition to a full outdoor ban.

Neonicotinoids, which are nerve agents, have been shown to cause a wide range of harm to individual bees, such as damaging memory and reducing queen numbers.

Pesticides damage survival of bee colonies, landmark study shows Read more

But this evidence has strengthened recently to show damage to colonies of bees. Other research has also revealed that 75% of all flying insects have disappeared in Germany and probably much further afield, prompting warnings of “ecological armageddon”.

Prof Dave Goulson, at the University of Sussex, said the EU ban was logical given the weight of evidence but that disease and lack of flowery habitats were also harming bees. “Also, if these neonicotinoids are simply replaced by other similar compounds, then we will simply be going round in circles. What is needed is a move towards truly sustainable farming,” he said.

Some experts are worried that the exemption for greenhouses means neonicotinoids will be washed out into water courses, where they can severely harm aquatic life.



Prof Jeroen van der Sluijs, at the University of Bergen, Norway, said neonicotinoids will also continue to be used in flea treatments for pets and in stables and animal transport vehicles, which account for about a third of all uses: “Environmental pollution will continue.”

The EU decision could have global ramifications, according to Prof Nigel Raine, at the University of Guelph in Canada: “Policy makers in other jurisdictions will be paying close attention to these decisions. We rely on both farmers and pollinators for the food we eat. Pesticide regulation is a balancing act between unintended consequences of their use for non-target organisms, including pollinators, and giving farmers the tools they need to control crop pests.”</s>The European Union will ban the world’s most widely used insecticides from all fields due to the serious danger they pose to bees.

The ban on neonicotinoids, approved by member nations on Friday, is expected to come into force by the end of 2018 and will mean they can only be used in closed greenhouses.

Bees and other insects are vital for global food production as they pollinate three-quarters of all crops. The plummeting numbers of pollinators in recent years has been blamed, in part, on the widespread use of pesticides. The EU banned the use of neonicotinoids on flowering crops that attract bees, such as oil seed rape, in 2013.

But in February, a major report from the European Union’s scientific risk assessors (Efsa) concluded that the high risk to both honeybees and wild bees resulted from any outdoor use, because the pesticides contaminate soil and water. This leads to the pesticides appearing in wildflowers or succeeding crops. A recent study of honey samples revealed global contamination by neonicotinoids.

Vytenis Andriukaitis, European commissioner for Health and Food Safety, welcomed Friday’s vote: “The commission had proposed these measures months ago, on the basis of the scientific advice from Efsa. Bee health remains of paramount importance for me since it concerns biodiversity, food production and the environment.”

The ban on the three main neonicotinoids has widespread public support, with almost 5 million people signing a petition from campaign group Avaaz. “Banning these toxic pesticides is a beacon of hope for bees,” said Antonia Staats at Avaaz. “Finally, our governments are listening to their citizens, the scientific evidence and farmers who know that bees can’t live with these chemicals and we can’t live without bees.”

Martin Dermine, at Pesticide Action Network Europe, said: “Authorising neonicotinoids a quarter of a century ago was a mistake and led to an environmental disaster. Today’s vote is historic.”

However, the pesticide manufacturers and some farming groups have accused the EU of being overly cautious and suggested crop yields could suffer, a claim rejected by others. “European agriculture will suffer as a result of this decision,” said Graeme Taylor, at the European Crop Protection Association. “Perhaps not today, perhaps not tomorrow, but in time decision makers will see the clear impact of removing a vital tool for farmers.”

Neonicotinoids, which are nerve agents, have been shown to cause a wide range of harm to individual bees, such as damaging memory and reducing queen numbers.

But this evidence has strengthened recently to show damage to colonies of bees. Other research has also revealed that 75% of all flying insects have disappeared in Germany and probably much further afield, prompting warnings of “ecological armageddon”.

In November, UK environment secretary Michael Gove overturned the UK’s previous opposition to tougher restrictions on neonicotinoids. “The weight of evidence now shows the risks neonicotinoids pose to our environment, particularly to the bees and other pollinators which play such a key part in our £100bn food industry, is greater than previously understood,” Gove told the Guardian. “I believe this justifies further restrictions on their use. We cannot afford to put our pollinator populations at risk.”

Emi Murphy, Friends of the Earth, said: “This is a major victory for science, common sense and our under-threat bees. The evidence that neonicotinoid pesticides pose a threat to our bees is overwhelming.”</s>Campaigners have hailed a decision by European countries to bring in a near-total ban on pesticides linked to declines in bees as a “major victory”.

European Union member states have decided on a ban on the outdoor use of “neonicotinoid” pesticides after an assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (Efsa) confirmed in February the dangers they posed to bees.

Use of the three pesticides is already restricted in the European Union on crops such as oil seed rape, because of the concerns they have “sub-lethal” effects such as harming the bees’ ability to forage and form colonies.

Member states have now endorsed proposals by the European Commission to completely ban the outdoor uses of the three active substances, meaning they can only be used in greenhouses.

The Efsa assessment, which looked at the impact on wild solitary bees and bumblebees as well as honey bees, confirmed that most uses of the chemicals pose a risk to the insects.

Last year Environment Secretary Michael Gove had said the UK would back a ban on the neonicotinoids, saying new evidence indicated the risk to bees and other insects from the chemicals was “greater than previously understood”.

Emi Murphy, bee campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: “This a major victory for science, common sense and our under-threat bees. The evidence that neonicotinoid pesticides pose a threat to our bees is overwhelming.

“It’s great news that Michael Gove listened to the experts and backed the ban – he must now give farmers the support they need to grow food without bee-harming pesticides.”

Antonia Staats, senior campaigner at Avaaz, which had led a petition backed by five million signatures to ban the chemicals, said: “Banning these toxic pesticides is a beacon of hope for bees.

“Finally, our governments are listening to their citizens, the scientific evidence and farmers who know that bees can’t live with these chemicals and we can’t live without bees.”

A spokesman for the Environment Department (Defra) said: “We are committed to enhancing our environment for the next generation, and welcome the vote today in support of further restrictions on neonicotinoids.

“The Government has always been clear we will be led by the science on this matter.

“The weight of evidence now shows the risks neonicotinoids may pose to our environment, particularly to the bees and other pollinators is greater than previously understood.

“We recognise the impact a ban will have on farmers and will continue to work with them to explore alternative approaches as we design a new agricultural policy outside the European Union.”</s>Campaigners have hailed a decision by European countries to bring in a near-total ban on pesticides linked to declines in bees as a 'major victory'.

European Union member states have decided on a ban on the outdoor use of 'neonicotinoid' pesticides after an assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (Efsa) confirmed in February the dangers they posed to bees.

Use of the three pesticides is already restricted in the European Union on crops such as oil seed rape, because of the concerns they have 'sub-lethal' effects such as harming the bees' ability to forage and form colonies.

Member states have now endorsed proposals by the European Commission to completely ban the outdoor uses of the three active substances, meaning they can only be used in greenhouses.

The Efsa assessment, which looked at the impact on wild solitary bees and bumblebees as well as honey bees, confirmed that most uses of the chemicals pose a risk to the insects.

Last year Environment Secretary Michael Gove had said the UK would back a ban on the neonicotinoids, saying new evidence indicated the risk to bees and other insects from the chemicals was 'greater than previously understood'.

Emi Murphy, bee campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: 'This a major victory for science, common sense and our under-threat bees. The evidence that neonicotinoid pesticides pose a threat to our bees is overwhelming.

'It's great news that Michael Gove listened to the experts and backed the ban – he must now give farmers the support they need to grow food without bee-harming pesticides.'

Antonia Staats, senior campaigner at Avaaz, which had led a petition backed by five million signatures to ban the chemicals, said: 'Banning these toxic pesticides is a beacon of hope for bees.

'Finally, our governments are listening to their citizens, the scientific evidence and farmers who know that bees can't live with these chemicals and we can't live without bees.'

A spokesman for the Environment Department (Defra) said: 'We are committed to enhancing our environment for the next generation, and welcome the vote today in support of further restrictions on neonicotinoids.

'The Government has always been clear we will be led by the science on this matter.

'The weight of evidence now shows the risks neonicotinoids may pose to our environment, particularly to the bees and other pollinators is greater than previously understood.

'We recognise the impact a ban will have on farmers and will continue to work with them to explore alternative approaches as we design a new agricultural policy outside the European Union.'

The ban has seen a positive reaction from the public and scientists alike.

Gleeful wildlife-enthusiasts took to Twitter to express their joy at the development.

One user said: 'Such a fantastic outcome for pollinators, biodiversity and our food chain as EU member states support near-total neonicotinoids ban. Delighted!'

Another tweeted: 'Long overdue. My garden is bee friendly.'

Organisations involved with the campaign to block the use of the hazardous chemicals tweeted out their delight at the outcome.

Friends of the Earth said: 'You did it! Huge moment for our #bees!! Bee-harming neonicotinoids are no more – the EU has banned them for all outdoor crops. Please share the good news!'

Academics also expressed their pleasure at the resulting prohibition of neonicotinoids used outside.

Professor Dave Goulson from the University of Sussex, said: 'There is abundant evidence from lab and field studies that neonicotinoids are harmful to bees, and a growing body of evidence linking them to declines of butterflies, aquatic insects and insect-eating birds.

'The EU decision is a logical one, based on a major review of the evidence by Efsa.'

Professor Goulson expressed a word of caution, citing other chemicals as potential enemies of bees and reminding people the pollinators may not be entirely out of the woods just yet.

'We should also be aware that neonicotinoids are far from the only problem facing bees and other insects,' Dr Goulson added.

'They are also having to cope with accidentally imported parasites and diseases, a lack of flowers and nesting habitat, and exposure to a blizzard of other chemicals.

'Banning neonicotinoids is a step in the right direction, but we have a very long way to go if we are to halt insect declines.'</s>Neonicotinoids, the world’s most widely used insecticides, will be banned for use in fields within six months.

So this is crazy, but when you douse fields with strong chemicals designed to kill insects, bees get sick and die too. Isn't that strange?

With so many pesticides being used in big agriculture, is it any wonder that our beleaguered pollinators have been dying at such an alarming rate?

But now the bees in the European Union are getting a much deserved break, thanks to a ban on neonicotinoids, approved by member nations. Neonicotinoids are nerve agents that are great at killing and harming insects, including bees; they've been shown to damage memory and reduce queen numbers, among other deleterious imapcts. The ban will be enacted by the end of the year, after which these dastardly pesticides will only be allowed in closed greenhouses.

As Damian Carrington at The Guardian reports, the EU banned the use of neonicotinoids on flowering crops that attract bees, such as oil seed rape, in 2013. But further legislation came about after a major report was published by the EU’s scientific risk assessors. The research found that the pesticides taint soil and water, which leads to the contamination of wildflowers and later crops. Thus, any outside use at all leads to a high risk to both honeybees and wild bees. A recent study has gone so far as to find contamination by neonicotinoids on honey samples from around the world.

While pesticide makers and some agriculture groups say that the measure is overly cautious and productivity could suffer; others were quick to dismiss those concerns. The ban received great vocal support, inspiring nearly 5 million signatures on a petition at the activism and campaign site, Avaaz. "We call on you to immediately ban the use of neonicotinoid pesticides," notes the petition. "The catastrophic demise of bee colonies could put our whole food chain in danger. If you act urgently with precaution now, we could save bees from extinction."

“The weight of evidence now shows the risks neonicotinoids pose to our environment, particularly to the bees and other pollinators which play such a key part in our £100bn food industry, is greater than previously understood,” UK environment secretary Michael Gove told the Guardian. “I believe this justifies further restrictions on their use. We cannot afford to put our pollinator populations at risk.”

Meanwhile, the United States EPA is considering an application by agrochemical giant Syngenta to dramatically escalate the use of the harmful neonicotinoid pesticide, thiamethoxam. If approved, notes The Center for Biological Diversity, the application would allow the highly toxic pesticide to be sprayed directly on 165 million acres of wheat, barley, corn, sorghum, alfalfa, rice and potato.</s>The European Union will ban the world's most widely used insecticides from all fields due to the serious danger they pose to bees

The European Union will ban the world's most widely used insecticides from all fields due to the serious danger they pose to bees. The ban on neonicotinoids, approved by member nations yesterday, is expected to come into force by the end of 2018 and will mean they can only be used in closed greenhouses.

Bees and other insects are vital for global food production as they pollinate three-quarters of all crops. The plummeting numbers of pollinators in recent years has been blamed, in part, on the widespread use of pesticides. The EU banned the use of neonicotinoids on flowering crops that attract bees, such as oil seed rape, in 2013.

But, in February, a major report from the European Union's scientific risk assessors (Efsa) concluded that the high risk to both honeybees and wild bees resulted from any outdoor use, because the pesticides contaminate soil and water. This leads to the pesticides appearing in wildflowers or succeeding crops.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever</s>A near-total ban on pesticides linked to declines in bees is set to come into force across Europe by the end of the year, in a move hailed as a “beacon of hope” for the insects.

European Union member states have decided on a ban on the outdoor use of “neonicotinoid” pesticides after an assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (Efsa) confirmed in February the risk they posed to bees.

The move has been welcomed by environmental campaigners, who have warned that the pesticides are contributing to falling populations of bees, but farmers said the Government must work with them to mitigate the impacts of the ban.

Use of three pesticides was already restricted in the European Union on crops such as oilseed rape, because of concerns that they have “sub-lethal” effects such as harming the bees’ ability to forage and form colonies.

But they could still be used on sugar beet, various horticultural crops and as seed treatments for winter cereals.

Member states have now endorsed proposals by the European Commission to completely ban the outdoor use of the three active substances, meaning they can only be used in greenhouses.

European Commission officials hope the ban will come into force by the end of the year.

After countries including the UK voted for the ban, a spokesman for the Environment Department (Defra) welcomed the further restrictions, as the weight of evidence showed the risk the chemicals could pose to the environment.

“We recognise the impact a ban will have on farmers and will continue to work with them to explore alternative approaches as we design a new agricultural policy outside the European Union,” he added.

Antonia Staats, senior campaigner at Avaaz, which led a petition backed by five million signatures to ban the chemicals, said: “Banning these toxic pesticides is a beacon of hope for bees.

“Finally, our governments are listening to their citizens, the scientific evidence and farmers who know that bees can’t live with these chemicals and we can’t live without bees.”

Emi Murphy, bee campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: “This a major victory for science, common sense and our under-threat bees.”

She called on Environment Secretary Michael Gove to give farmers the support they need to grow food without bee-harming pesticides.

But Guy Smith, deputy president of the National Farmers’ Union, said: “This decision doesn’t change the fact that farmers will continue to face challenges to maintain sustainable and productive cropping systems, and the pest problems that neonicotinoids helped farmers tackle have not gone away.”

He warned that, without the pesticides, many crops grown in the UK would become less viable and could lead to increased imports of food.

“There is a real risk that these restrictions will do nothing measurable to improve bee health, while compromising the effectiveness of crop protection.”

He added that farmers were “acutely aware” that bees played a crucial role in food production, and had planted 10,000 football pitches of flower habitat across the UK to support the insects.

Dave Goulson, professor of biology at the University of Sussex, said there was abundant evidence that neonicotinoids are harmful to bees, and growing evidence they were involved in declines of butterflies, aquatic insects and insect-eating birds.

But he warned that if neonicotinoids were just replaced with similar compounds, “we will simply be going round in circles”.

“What is needed is a move towards truly sustainable farming methods that minimise pesticide use, encourage natural enemies of crop pests, and support biodiversity and healthy soils,” he said.</s>BRUSSELS – The European Union has made a key breakthrough to completely ban pesticides that harm bees and their crop pollination.

The 28 member states got a large majority backing the ban on the three prevalent neonicotinoid pesticides which will take effect at the end of the year. The decision builds on a limited ban which has been in effect since 2013.

Antonia Staats of the Avaaz campaign group on Friday called it a “beacon of hope for bees. Finally our governments are listening.”

Over the past several years, there’s been an alarming drop in bee populations and there were fears it would start to seriously affect crop production since bees are necessary for the spread of pollen and reproduction.</s>Campaigners have hailed a decision by European countries to bring in a near-total ban on pesticides linked to declines in bees as a “major victory”.

European Union member states have decided on a ban on the outdoor use of “neonicotinoid” pesticides, after an assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) confirmed in February the dangers they posed to bees.

Use of the three pesticides is already restricted in the European Union on crops such as oil seed rape, because of the concerns they have “sub-lethal” effects such as harming the bees’ ability to forage and form colonies.

Member states have now endorsed proposals by the European Commission to completely ban the outdoor uses of the three active substances, meaning they can only be used in greenhouses.

However, how farmers replace the pesticides will be crucial, says Dave Goulson of the University of Sussex, UK. “If these neonicotinoids are simply replaced by other similar compounds such as sulfoxaflor, cyantraniliprole and flupyradifurone (all new systemic insecticides), then we will simply be going round in circles,” he says. “What is needed is a move towards truly sustainable farming methods that minimise pesticide use, encourage natural enemies of crop pests, and support biodiversity and healthy soils.”

The EFSA assessment, which looked at the impact on wild solitary bees and bumblebees as well as honeybees, confirmed that most uses of the chemicals pose a risk to the insects.

Last year, UK Environment Secretary Michael Gove had said the UK would back a ban on the neonicotinoids, saying new evidence indicated the risk to bees and other insects from the chemicals was “greater than previously understood”.

Emi Murphy, bee campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: “This is a major victory for science, common sense and our under-threat bees. The evidence that neonicotinoid pesticides pose a threat to our bees is overwhelming.

“It’s great news that Michael Gove listened to the experts and backed the ban – he must now give farmers the support they need to grow food without bee-harming pesticides.”

Antonia Staats, senior campaigner at Avaaz, which had led a petition backed by five million signatures to ban the chemicals, said: “Banning these toxic pesticides is a beacon of hope for bees.

“Finally, our governments are listening to their citizens, the scientific evidence and farmers who know that bees can’t live with these chemicals and we can’t live without bees.”

European Commission spokeswoman Anca Paduraru told reporters in Brussels that it was hoped the ban will enter into force by the end of the year.

She added that there would be exemptions for the indoor use of neonicotinoids.

“We are banning all outdoor uses, so under strict conditions they might still be used in greenhouses,” she said.</s>Bees just got a boost from the European Commission, which voted to ban the use of all insecticides that pose a risk to the popular pollinators.

The ban, expected to come into force by the end of 2018, prohibits the use of the nicotine-derived pesticides except in closed greenhouses where bees are unlikely to come into contact with the plants. In 2013, the EU announced a two-year ban on neonicotinoids on flowering crops, but the new law goes much farther.

The ban comes on the heels of a study published in February by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which found harm from the neonicotinoids varied, but that "for all the outdoor uses, there was at least one aspect of the assessment indicating a high risk." The report highlighted that neonicotinoid exposure was less likely to be the result of direct contact but occurred instead through water and soil contamination. The new ban is broader as a result.

Supporters of the ban gathered in bee-themed outfits and carried signs outside of the commission's building in Brussels.



"Banning these toxic pesticides is a beacon of hope for bees," said Antonia Staats of Avaaz, a campaign group. "Finally, our governments are listening to their citizens, the scientific evidence and farmers who know that bees can’t live with these chemicals and we can’t live without bees."

Pesticide manufacturing companies and some farming groups greeted the news less warmly.

"The Commission hasn't been able to find that these restrictions have delivered any measurable benefits for bees," Chris Hartfield from the National Farmers' Union in the U.K. told BBC News. "That has been a big question for us, and if we can't be certain they can deliver measurable benefits, why are we doing this?"



The more limited 2013 ban is still undergoing a legal challenge, with a verdict expected in mid-May. It's unclear what impact a ruling against that ban would have on this one.

Related on MNN: To help a native bee, you have to know one
The European Union approves a total ban on neonicotinoids,suspected of harming bees, which is expected to come into force by the end of 2018.