Brussels, 02/09/2015 (Agence Europe) - To update its assessment of the risk to bees from fipronil, an insecticide produced by BASF, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) called on Tuesday 1 September for new scientific data.
National authorities, research institutes, industry and other stakeholders should submit all new information available by 15 January 2016 on the risks to bees associated with the use of fipronil. EFSA is asking for literature data and data from other relevant research activities; study reports conducted specifically to assess the risk to bees from fipronil that were not considered under the previous EFSA assessment (acute laboratory studies, chronic toxicity studies, residues data, and field studies, for example); national evaluations and/or monitoring data not considered under the previous assessment.
In 2013, the European Commission imposed restrictions on the use of fipronil following a risk assessment conducted by EFSA which concluded that this insecticide was extremely dangerous for honey bees (see EUROPE 10855). The use of fipronil as a seed treatment was prohibited for two years, except on seeds sown in greenhouses and seeds of leek, onions, shallots and brassica vegetables sown in fields and harvested before flowering (see EUROPE 10889). The Commission then announced an analysis of all new scientific information within two years. In line with the mandate given it by the Commission, EFSA will study this new information to update its risk assessment.
EFSA is also currently gathering new information on the risks to bees from the neonicotinoid pesticides clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam, some uses of which were also suspended in the EU for a period of two years from 1 December 2013 (see EUROPE 11375 and 11109). This data call will run until 30 September. (Aminata Niang)