Following the vote today in Plenary, the S&D Group welcomes the adoption of a joint resolution on the assessment of the impact of plant protection products on bees. The European Commission must now take into due consideration in its regulation the risks of chronic toxicity to bees and the effects on other pollinators.

 

 

“The adoption of this joint resolution on the assessment of the impact of plant protection products on bees is excellent news. The European Commission must include in its regulation all the guidelines issued by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in 2013, including the risks of chronic toxicity to bees and the effects on other pollinators.

 

“The decline of pollinators is a major risk to the protection of the environment, but also for agricultural production. Bees risk becoming extinct, and their mortality rate reaches 80% in some parts of Europe. This endangers the very preservation of biodiversity and our food security, as nearly 35% of global agricultural production depends on pollinators. We cannot turn a blind eye on this. We call on the EU Commission to deliver, now!”

 

S&D coordinator in the environment committee, Jytte Guteland, said: 

 

“The world needs healthy bees and we must do everything we can to protect them from hazardous pesticides. By looking out for our bees, we are also looking out for our future. These insects play a fundamental role in our society; pollination is a fundamental necessity for our ecosystems, but also for our food production. It is well overdue that Europe starts the transition to a non-toxic society that requires the sustainable use of pesticides that do not harm pollinators and biodiversity.”