Bee – Photo Pexels
(BRUSSELS) – The EU is set to adopt, in the coming weeks, legislation to restrict the use of Sulfoxaflor, a pesticide which can have adverse impacts on wild bees, to indoor use only, the EU Commission announced Thursday.
Discussions with Member States over the past year on restricting the of use of Sulfoxaflor have not delivered sufficient support for the Commission’s proposal to restrict its use.
“The protection of pollinators against harmful pesticides is of paramount importance, for the future of our planet and our children,” said Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides: “Scientific conclusions from EFSA show that outdoor use of Sulfoxaflor can be harmful for bumble bees and solitary bees. Action must be taken now to restrict its use to indoors only.”
The Commission’s proposal was first submitted in February to a Standing Committee but the necessary qualified majority was not reached.
Therefore, the same proposal was submitted to the Appeal Committee, where, Member States failed again to reach the needed majority.
The Regulation will now be adopted by the Commission this spring.
