Germany also wants a ban
The Netherlands agrees to a ban on neonics
Minister Carola Schouten (Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality) has announced that on Friday 27 April, the Netherlands will agree to the European Commission's proposal to limit the use of plant protection products containing active substances from the neonicotinoids group.
Schouten says the main reason for this is that neonicotinoids are harmful to bees and thus pose a threat to biodiversity. She follows with this the advice of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the Board for the Authorization of Plant Protection Products and Biocides (Ctgb).
It concerns a restriction on 3 substances: imidacloprid, lothianidin and thiamethoxam. None of them will be allowed to be used in full fields if the European member states agree to the proposal on Friday. Last year, the European Commission proposed to ban all use, with the exception of greenhouses.
Voting in Brussels
The European member states will vote on the issue on Friday 27 April. It was previously announced that Julia Klöckner, Minister of Agriculture in Germany, also agrees to a total ban on neonicotinoids. Schouten indicates that she is aware of the impact on agricultural entrepreneurs. She therefore wants to enter into a discussion to discuss alternatives.
The ban could also have serious consequences for sugar beet cultivation. In the event of a ban, farmers will fall back on spraying to combat aphids that transmit the leaf yellowing virus. That seems to be even more harmful to pollinators.
Anne-Jan Doorn
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