EU: end of derogations on neonicotinoids, the tree that hides the forest

A bee gathers pollen from a coriander flower, in the Paris region (photo illustration).

RFI/Elisa Drago

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

The Court of Justice of the EU has caused dismay among farmers, beet growers in particular, in several member countries, by rejecting national derogations on neonicotinoids.

These pesticides, which are very harmful to pollinators, and in particular bees, cannot be used in the Union and the States do not have the right to grant derogations to use them anyway.

But this is the tip of the European iceberg when it comes to pesticides.

Advertising

Read more

With our correspondent in Brussels,

Pierre Benazet

For neonicotinoids, these are derogations granted by Belgium which have been challenged by the Court of Justice of the European Union.

This decision will automatically apply to ten other Member States of the Union.

They too had granted exemptions to allow the use of neonicotinoids despite their European ban in 2018.

But in reality, this is only one substance among others, because the Europeans abuse these derogations.

This is the finding of a report published by the NGO Pesticide Action Network (PAN).

It shows that between 2019 and 2022, no less than 236 derogations of this type were granted.

They concern 14 substances banned in the EU.

Neonicotinoids come first, with almost half of these derogations (47.5%), and are followed by "diquat" used in potato cultivation and banned since 2018, because considered an endocrine disruptor, or again “1,3-dichloropropene”, banned since 2007.

The NGO denounces the shortcomings of the existing legislation for prohibited substances.

But note that in December, the general ban on

glyphosate

was postponed for another year.

►Read again

: Environment: EU justice bans derogations on neonicotinoids

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

  • European Union

  • Environment

  • Agriculture and Fishing

  • Justice