Brussels, 17/04/2012 (Agence Europe) - Given that increased bee mortality is possibly linked to certain insecticides, European Ombudsman P. Nikiforos Diamandouros announced on Tuesday 17 April that he has opened an investigation into whether the European Commission has taken appropriate measures to combat increased bee mortality in the EU. The Ombudsman has asked the Commission to submit an opinion by 30 June 2012.
The spokesperson for the commissioner for health, John Dalli, informed EUROPE that he had sent the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) the recent study published in the “Science” journal in which certain pesticides (neonicotinoids) were shown to affect the health of bees. “This is what was done during recent scientific studies which demonstrate that there could be new elements involved. EFSA has until 30 April to provide a reply on this question.” The ball is therefore currently in EFSA's court. Another study published in March 2012 in Italy on neonicotinoids will also be assessed by the European authority.
In the light of EFSA recommendations, the Commission will be able to relaunch procedures on authorising these substances or not. The Commission points out that it requested EFSA to review its risk assessment scheme for bees a year ago. The spokesman explained that it had requested operators that wished to put new pesticides on the market to “carry out an impact study on bees”.
The Commission has authorised the use of a number of insecticides (neonicotinoids) for plant protection purposes. The relevant regulation provides for a review process concerning the authorisation of substances in case new scientific evidence indicates that they no longer fulfil the approval criteria - for example, because they pose a threat to animal health, explained a press release from the European Ombudsman.
According to the Austrian Ombudsman Board (which was behind the complaint made to the European Ombudsman), observations from beekeepers, as well as new scientific evidence, suggest that certain neonicotinoids have led to increased bee mortality in recent years. The problem of increased bee mortality has also been the subject matter of a number of parliamentary questions to the European Commission over the past few years. In 2011, the Commission stated that it was aware of the toxicity of neonicotinoids. It argued, however, that their use should be possible if exposure is limited to non-harmful levels.
According to the complainant, the Commission has failed properly to address the issue of bee mortality, which may be linked to the use of certain neonicotinoids. In its view, the Commission should take new scientific evidence into account and take appropriate measures, such as reviewing the authorisation of relevant substances, in order to address the problem.
At the end of March, two studies were published in the “Science” journal on the effects of insecticides from the neonicotinoids family on bees and bumblebees. The study on bees, headed by Mickaël Henry (INRA Avignon in France), tagged bees on their throats with a tiny radio frequency identification microchips (RFID). This innovative mechanism helped to monitor the flights made by these hymenoptera, particularly those that had been given a sublethal dose of thiamethoxam. The results obtained demonstrated that the bees exposed to thiamethoxam were two or three times more at risk of dying outside their hives. Henry said that French researchers considered that these deaths probably occurred because the pesticide interfered with the beehive localisation systems. He said: “Our study raises an important question regarding pesticide authorisation procedures. Until now, these procedures primarily required manufacturers to ensure that the doses administered on the ground did not kill the bees, but these have completely ignored the consequences of the nonlethal doses which could, however, provoke behaviour problems.”
In a recent press release, the French Department of Agriculture announced that in response to the “Science” journal study, it would be launching reassessment procedures for authorising the marketing of “Cruiser OSR” (which contained thiamethoxam). It also announced that it had submitted this study to the French Agency for Food, the Environment and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES). The Department has also consulted the European Commission and EFSA on this issue. It is requesting that all aspects from the European assessment of thiamethoxam be examined, with, if necessary, a harmonised framework for assessing phytosanitary products on bees.
In a press release, Syngenta, the company that manufactures Cruiser OSR, “strongly contested the conclusions of the study”. (LC/transl.fl)