Brussels, 28/10/2015 (Agence Europe) - PAN Europe, the European anti-pesticides network, has filed a complaint to the European Court of Justice, asking it to cancel the Sulfoxaflor authorisation.
The organisation criticises the fact that at the end of July, the European Commission authorised this pesticide despite the fact that the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) considers it to be highly toxic to bees. The chemical is similar to the three “neonicotinoids”, pesticides upon which the EU has imposed a two-year “moratorium” applicable until the end of November (see EUROPE 10974).
Manufactured by Dow Agroscience, Sulfoxaflor is absorbed by plants and is present in nectar and pollen and also leads to long-term contamination of soils and water, explained PAN Europe in a press release on Monday 26 October. The organisation added that in DG SANTE's decision to do the opposite (with regard to the decision on the moratorium on the neonicotinoids: Ed) is “irrational and illegal”. The organisation also highlighted the lack of data on the impact of Sulfoxaflor and the fact that the US Federal Court suspended the authorisation of the pesticide in September. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)