EFSA to examine emergency use of neonicotinoids

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is to assess a number of emergency authorisations granted by EU member states for the use of neonicotinoids in sugar beet in 2020. The European Commission has requested this assessment, which covers emergency authorisations of clothianidin, imidacloprid, thiamethoxam and thiacloprid granted by Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Spain.

Outdoor use of imidacloprid, thiamethoxam and clothianidin was banned in May 2018, and an application to renew the approval of thiacloprid was rejected by the European Commission in January 2020. The decisions were taken following scientific assessments carried out by EFSA.

EFSA will examine the justification for the authorisations, given the specific situation of each member state, and the availability of alternative means to protect sugar beet crops. The assessments should be finalised in the second half of 2021.

Source: EFSA, 8 December 2020