Pesticides and bees

Abstract

In May 2013, the European Commission (EC) adopted a 2‐year restriction on the use of three neonicotinoid pesticides – clothianidin and imidacloprid, both produced by Bayer, and thiametoxam, produced by Syngenta – on crops that attract bees and other pollinators to protect declining populations of pollinating bees. The decision was based on a risk assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) [1]. In August 2013, the two companies sued the EC. Syngenta claims the decision was based on a flawed process, on an inaccurate and incomplete EFSA assessment, and was made without the full support of the EU Member States. The EFSA assessments focused on three main routes by which bees could be exposed to the pesticides: from residues in nectar and pollen in the flowers of treated plants; from dust produced when treated seeds are sown or granules are applied; and from residues in guttation fluid produced by treated plants. They found …