Government permission to use banned pesticides face legal challenge
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Version 0 of 1. A government decision to permit the use of banned pesticides linked to declining bee populations is to be challenged in the high court by the environmental charity Friends of the Earth (FOE). The use of three neonicotinoid pesticides is currently illegal under a European Union law, which is due to be reviewed at the end of the year. Last month the UK government decided to make two of the pesticides available for 120 days on about 5% of England’s oil seed rape crop on farms in Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. It followed an “emergency application” by the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), saying that the product is needed for the autumn season. But FOE said they believe the government’s decision is “unnecessary, unlawful and harmful” and does not meet the criteria set down by the EU for emergency authorisation. FOE bees campaigner Dave Timms said: “The government should be listening to the science and championing the long-term interests of our threatened bees. The distribution of these seeds should now be halted until the courts can decide whether their use is lawful.” In 2013, following a mass mobilisation of 3 million people across Europe, the EU introduced legislation to restrict the use of three neonicotinoids pesticides: imidacloprid, clothianidin, and thiametoxam. It states that exceptions can be made. The EU ruling followed risk assessments by the European Food Safety Authority that identified that neonicotinoids are having an “acute effect” on bees. Experts have linked the loss of honeybees to a potential food security catastrophe and said that it would cost the UK £1.8bn to replace the pollination done by bees. The move by the environmental NGO came the day after the publication of a landmark 11-year study that revealed a correlation between the decline of honeybee colonies across England and Wales and the use of the third banned neonicotinoid imidacloprid, which has not been authorised for use by the government. “The scientific case that these pesticides harm bees and other pollinators is absolutely overwhelming, which is why the ban should be extended to cover all uses. Bees are absolutely crucial pollinators across a huge range of crops and a vital part of our biodiversity. It would also diminish us as people if we allowed the decline of a much loved part of our gardens and countryside,” Timms told the Guardian. Farmers say the product is needed to protect certified seeds from devastation by the cabbage stem flea beetle and that those who use it will be asked to take part in scientific research to measure its impact on their crops. When the government approved the pesticide use last month, Guy Smith, vice-president of the NFU said: “The NFU has worked relentlessly to submit a robust application and we’re glad to finally see a positive result. However, we know that this isn’t enough – flea beetle threat is a widespread problem on a national scale and the extremely limited nature of this authorisation is unfortunately not going to help the vast majority of farmers in need of the protection.” A spokesperson for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “The EU commission introduced precautionary restrictions on neonicotinoids from December 2013, which the UK has fully implemented. The Government makes decisions on pesticides based on the recommendations of senior scientists and independent experts who have looked at the best available scientific evidence. It would not be appropriate for us to comment further on ongoing legal proceedings.” Documents seen by the Guardian last month revealed that the government refused to publish the minutes of meetings with their own pesticide advisers on time, after they refused an application by the NFU. |