On Thursday 8 February, France asked the European Commission to halt imports of foodstuffs derived from plants treated with thiacloprid.
Banned from use in France since September 2018 and in the EU since February 2021, the active substance thiacloprid continues to be used in other parts of the world to protect crops against certain insects, explains the French Ministry of Agriculture.
In mid-January, the European Parliament vetoed the Commission’s proposal to tolerate maximum residue levels (MRLs) for thiacloprid above the determination threshold for around thirty imported food products, even though this neonicotinoid pesticide active substance has been banned in the EU since 2020 (see EUROPE 13330/11).
With this announcement, the government is responding to some of the concerns expressed by angry farmers. On 1 February, Paris undertook to prevent fruit and vegetables treated with thiacloprid from being imported into France.
The substance is considered by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to be a category 2 carcinogen, a category 1 reproductive toxicant and an endocrine disruptor.
For several years now, France has been asking the Commission to lower the MRLs for substances such as thiacloprid, which are banned from use in the EU for health reasons.
“If we cannot ensure that these dangerous substances are not used in the production of foodstuffs in their country of origin, as is the case for European farmers, we must ensure that imported foodstuffs do not contain residues of these substances in measurable quantities”, explains France.
For these reasons, the French authorities are asking the Commission to put an end to imports of foodstuffs from plants treated with thiacloprid which could expose consumers to this substance.
Otherwise, as a precautionary measure pending an EU-wide ban, the French authorities are considering activating a ‘safeguard clause’ suspending the marketing of fresh fruit and vegetables exposed to thiacloprid. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)