The EU ban unlocks the three pesticides that threaten ... - The Vanguard

Three

insecticides lethal to bees will banned in the EU for two years from December, European Commission announced. Suspicions over evil bee head towards insecticides called neonicotinoids, used to coat the seeds of future plants (sunflower, rapeseed, cotton and corn), among other uses. The problem is that when the plants grow, attending bees gathering pollen in the flower to collect nectar or pollen, are intoxicated. Thus, insects are attacked his nervous system, become disoriented, can not return to the hive and suffer paralysis and even death.

The EU executive will continue its plan to ban the use of three insecticides that contribute to the decline of bee colonies. The EC stated this after most countries have endorsed the proposal in the appeal committee of the EU. Experts from member states to Brussels studied the proposal have not reached a qualified majority in favor or against the initiative. However, in the absence of the agreement is now up to the Commission to decide on the adoption of the proposed restriction, said the EU executive.

Voting class=”boldtext”> odds

In total, fifteen Member States voted in favor, two more than in previous vote made last month (including Spain, Germany, France, Denmark and the Netherlands), while the opposition was led by the UK, Italy , Portugal, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania.

European Commissioner for Health, Tonio Borg, stressed that, “since our proposal is based on several risks to bee health identified by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA, for its acronym in English), the Commission will continue its text in the coming weeks “. The commissioner recalled that bees are “vital to our ecosystem” to encourage pollination, and that its 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 suffering bee colonies.

Different ways

neonicotinoid insecticides attack on bees given in various ways. The first is growing in the treated seeds (‘washed’) with these chemicals. The problem is that when the plant grows, flowers also poison residues (sunflower, rapeseed, cotton or corn) where bees come to get the nectar and pollen. Other times, the impact is in planting, lifting a powder that reaches to the hives near agricultural fields, which the bees are flying in the vicinity or in contact with the product.

also have also been detected cases of pollution caused by the spraying of fruit trees, which has produced acute mortality episodes.

Seeds treated

The Commission is considering banning the sale and use of “seed treated” with these three products containing hazardous substances (excluding 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 also suggests modifying the conditions of approval of the three derivatives of neonicotinoid insecticides (thiamethoxam, imidacloprid and clothianidin), to restrict their use to crops that do not attract bees and cereals winter.

From December class=”boldtext”>

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 ” take into account relevant scientific and technical developments. “

president of the Environment Committee of the European Parliament, the German Social Democrat Matthias Groote, held in a statement the EC decision, but warned that “there are still details to know” to understand exactly how the neonicotinoids affect bees, while assured that these substances are not the only threats to these insects.

French MEP 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.

“The ban removes a threat to bees. Responds to a campaign of support of 2.6 million people, “said Ian Keith, organization Avaaz.’s Europe PAN (Pesticide Action Network) has asked for its part the Commission to go further and ban pesticides for ten years. “I welcome this moratorium at European level”, welcomed the French Minister of Agriculture, Stéphane Le Foll. Stormy, large farmers and food multinational chemical and tried everything to block the decision. Copa-Cogecas that brings together leading European agricultural unions, has requested a postponement of the measure in 2014 and highlighted the economic and employment losses. organization refers to 2.8 million euros in losses and the risk of losing 50,000 jobs.

industry class=”boldtext”> reactions

Carlos Palomar, CEO of Business Association for Plant Protection (AEPLA) stated: “Numerous independent studies show that the correct use of these products do not harm the health of bees, secondly, the process of decision was based on the criteria of dangerousness, but completely ignores the risk mitigation measures implemented in Europe, and we can not forget, poor scientific basis that has been justified, as the assessment carried out by EFSA was inconclusive. “

The industry is further concerned by how developed this process speaks of an “inappropriate use of the precautionary principle” and threatening the competitiveness and profitability of European agriculture, while it discourages entire food industry which is conducting R & D initiatives in Europe. “