Two controversial insecticides that have been linked to the death of bees and other insects will be banned from the European Union (EU), the European Commission (EC) has confirmed.
EC officials announced that an agreement has been reached among member states regarding the usage of Clothianidin and Thiamethoxam, two disputed substances belonging to the group of so-called neonicotinoids.
The potentially negative aspects of these substances have been heatedly debated for years. There has been speculation that neonicotinoids could be to blame for the phenomenon of honey-bee colony collapse disorder and other ecological developments.
The EC now announced that there must not be any traceable residue of Clothianidin and Thiamethoxam in any foodstuff produced within the EU. The organisation revealed that the new restriction would also affect imported food and all kinds of animal nutrition.
The regulation is scheduled to come into effect by the beginning of next year. However, the EC is expected to implement a transition period of several months.
The neonicotinoids in question were been banned from being applied in any outdoor agricultural production within the EU in 2018 after the EC voiced concerns about “high acute risks to bees.”
Numerous scientific studies have suggested that the usage of insecticides can lead to the death of bees due to their impact on the insects’ neurotransmitters. Biotechnology enterprises have dismissed such findings as inaccurate.
The EC is the EU’s executive government. Headed by former German Labour Minister Ursula von der Leyen, the institution’s 27-member cabinet represents the EU’s 27 member countries.
