Further restrictions on neonicotinoids agreed

Further restrictions on neonicotinoid pesticides have been approved following a vote by EU member states today. The UK voted in favour of the proposals that will see a ban on outdoor use of three neonicotinoids - Clothianidin, Imidacloprid and Thiamethoxam. Currently, their use is banned for oilseed rape, spring cereals and sprays for winter cereals, but they can be used to treat sugar beet, various horticultural crops and as seed treatments for winter cereals. The current restrictions will stay in place until the new measures comes into force following a phasing out period of around eight months, giving farmers and businesses time to adjust. Unless the scientific evidence changes, the government will maintain these increased restrictions post-Brexit.

Source: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), 27 April 2018