Bees, the EU cannot reach an agreement on pesticides

There is no qualified majority among the states so it’s up to the Commission to decide. Italy, France, Poland, Belgium, Slovenia. Holland and Spain are in favor.

Today in Brussels the EC did not obtain a qualified majority approval from the government experts of the 27 states on the proposal to ban neuro-active nicotine based insecticides, put into motion after a series of scientific opinions had verified that these substances were the cause of the phenomenon of bee disease and of other pollinating insects in Europe. The Commission can now resubmit the ban to an “appeal committee,” probably with some modifications to try to obtain a majority consensus from the member states. However, the proposal can be rejected only with a qualified majority.

During the EU Committee meeting on the food chain, 13 countries voted in favor and 9 against the proposal to suspend the use of the 3 most toxic neuro-active nicotine based insecticides (those produced by the German company Bayer and the Swiss company Syngenta which contain Clothianidin, Thiamethoxam e Imidacloprid as active ingredients which is actually the most widely diffused insecticide in the world) for 2 years, but only for farms that attract bees the most: corn, rapeseed, sunflowers and cotton.

The ban on use should have covered the seeds ‘preserved’ with pesticides, the granular and the sprays.  The neuro-active nicotine based ones are ‘systematic’ pesticides: they are not spread onto the plants but enter inside the organisms.

The 13 member states in favor who acquired 173 votes in the weighted system used to calculate the qualified majority, include: Italy, France, then Poland, Belgium, Slovenia, Holland and contrary to what was expected yesterday, even Spain. Among the 9 countries against (93 votes) were: Hungary, Romania, and Finland. 5 countries abstained (79 votes) and included in these are: Germany, Bulgaria and surprisingly, the UK, who was initially expected to strongly oppose. In order to achieve a qualified majority 255 votes are needed.

Now the Commission “will consider what to do,” says a spokesperson.

Lorenzo Consoli for TmNews