EU cracks down on pesticides to protect bees

The European Commission has adopted new rules which, once enforced, will lower the maximum residue levels of two pesticides in food. Evaluations by EFSA, the European Food Safety Authority, have in fact demonstrated that two chemical substances belonging to the group of neonicotinoid pesticides, namely clothianidin and thiamethoxam, present a high risk for bees and contribute to the global decline of pollinators.

For this reason, their outdoor use was already banned in the EU in 2018. But precisely for this reason, the Commission underlines in an official statement, the new rules will lower the current MRLs, the maximum residue levels, for these substances to the level lowest that can be measured with the latest technologies. The new limits will apply to all products manufactured in the EU, but also to imported food and feed products.