Under ban decisions adopted by the European Commission on Monday 3 February, Romania and Lithuania will no longer be able to grant undue emergency authorisations for the three bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides (imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam) that have been subject to use restrictions in the EU since 2013.
Romania and Lithuania have repeatedly granted emergency authorisations to allow the use of those substances for the control of certain pests on specific crops, which the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) does not consider justified.
Article 53 of the European ‘Pesticides’ Regulation concerning the authorisation the placing plant protection products on the market does indeed provide for the possibility of derogations via the emergency authorisation clause, but under very strict conditions and duly justified by the lack of alternative solutions.
“The European Green Deal underlines that the sustainability of the food chain is a priority for the EU and we cannot accept that Member States continue to use pesticides that harm the environment and biodiversity when alternatives are available”, commented Commissioner Stella Kyriakides in a statement.
The misuse of these emergency authorisations has been denounced by Parliament, NGOs and the previous Commission, which had written to several Member States which use them habitually (see EUROPE 12370/4, 12059/12). (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)