European Union member state representatives have voted to ban neonicotinoids for outdoor use.
The vote follows a scientific review published in February by the EU’s European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which concluded that the neonicotinoids imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam are harmful to bees.
“All outdoor use of the three substances will be banned and the neonicotinoids in question will only be allowed in permanent greenhouses where no contact with bees is expected,” the European Union said in a statement.
The ban will go into effect by the end of 2018. It builds further upon use restrictions, implemented in 2013, on treating the seeds, soil and foliage of numerous outdoor-grown produce crops, as well as any “ornamentals flowering in [the] year of treatment,” according to the EU.
Product manufacturers and some farming groups oppose the decision, according to the BBC.
Latest from Produce Grower
- After a thorny 2024, the CEA industry looks ahead to 2025
- CEA HERB Part 1: Best practices for producing culinary herbs in controlled environments
- Jim Jones, FDA deputy commissioner for human foods, resigns over mass staff cuts
- Orbia's precision agriculture business Netafim releases Hybrid Dripline system
- Ledgnd opens second location, adds new functionalities to MyLedgnd software portal
- This fast and agile robotic insect could someday aid in mechanical pollination
- Hydrofarm joins GLASE as premium industry member
- Food safety leaders unite for LinkedIn live event on effective communication in crisis
