Nov 18th, 2020
3 mins
On the 8th October 2020, the European Court of Justice dismissed a case brought against France for banning five neonicotinoid group pesticides in 2018. The French Crop Protection Association filed the case against France for banning these pesticides. The panel stated that France had not violated EU Law with the court ruling, “After officially informing the commission of the need to take urgent action, a member state may take interim protective measures.”
The five pesticides: acetamiprid, clothianidin, imidacloprid, thiacloprid and thiamethoxam, have been outlawed for use in France, both outdoors and in greenhouses. These Neonicotinoids attack the bees’ central nervous system by causing confusion – making them lose their way to food sources or home – as well as making them less resistant to disease. These pesticides have been linked to ‘colony collapse disorder’ which is a mysterious phenomomen where honeybees disappear from their hives.
The Union of Sugar Beet Growers have experienced crops being plagued by green aphids since the ban was imposed. The insects bring a leaf-yellowing virus that dramatically reduces yield but Freddie-Jean Richard, a biologist at the University of Poitiers, stated that natural alternatives to pesticides do exist, such as ladybirds – aphids are their natural prey.
The United Nations have warned that nearly half of all insect pollinators, including bees and butterflies, are at risk of global extinction.
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