EU Court to rule on banned pesticide use

Abstract

In 2013, after evidence demonstrated the adverse effects of neonicotinoids on bees (1, 2), the European Commission limited the use of clothianidin, thiamethoxam, and imidacloprid outside of permanent greenhouses. After an evaluation, these bans were strengthened in 2018 (3). In May, the Court of Justice of the European Union upheld the legality of these bans (4). However, this decision does not address a loophole used by many EU member states to continue to permit the use of neonicotinoids.