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THECOMMERCIAL GREENHOUSEGROWER • APRIL 2018
NEWS •
‘Neonic’ proposals extend
restrictions to protected crop uses
A long-awaitednew report by the
EuropeanFoodStandardsAgency
(EFSA) on the risks tobees posed
by neonicotinoids could influence
proposals to extend the current
restrictions on insect control products
that contain them. Theproposals
aredue tobediscussedby the
EC’s standing committee onplants,
animals, food and feedonMarch 22
and 23, as this editionof Commercial
GreenhouseGrower closed for press.
Two neonicotinoid active substances
are currently approved for use on
protected crops in theUK, both
onornamentals. Threeproducts
containing imidacloprid have full label
approval for protectedornamentals,
to control pests such as vineweevil,
sciarid, aphid andwhitefly. Two
products containing thiamethoxam
haveEAMU authorisations for use
against western flower thrips. Under
the current restrictions, introduced
in 2013, theseproducts canonly be
applied toplants under permanent
glass or plastic structures; and the
treatedplants can’t bemovedoutside
until after they have finished flowering
in the year of treatment, or planted
outside until at least ninemonths
after beinggrown in treatedmedia.
TheEuropeanCommissionhas
proposed extending these restrictions
to all outdoor uses, andwithuses
for protected crops further curtailed,
limiting them to crops that spend
their entire lifewithin the greenhouse
and that are not replantedoutside.
NFU senior plant health regulatory
affairs adviser ChrisHartfield says
his understanding is that this could
in effect rule out the current uses
for protectedornamentals. “A strict
interpretationwould limit use to
crops that are consumed rather
thanplantedbut I can’t think of any
UKuses onprotected food crops,”
he said. “You could argue for use
onornamentalswhere there is no
intentionof plantingout – cut flowers,
houseplants, for example.” TheEFSA
report is basedon a reviewofmore
than1,500published scientific studies
and consultationswith academics,
beekeeping associations, chemical
companies and farmingorganisations,
andpesticides experts inmember
states. Its report, published at the
endof February, concludes that ‘most
uses of neonicotinoidpesticides
represent a risk towildbees and
honeybees.’ It also states: ‘For all the
outdoor uses of these substances,
therewas at least one aspect of the
assessment indicating a high risk,
leading to the conclusion that overall
these neonicotinoids represent a
risk tobees.’ TheECproposals to
extend the current ban to cover
all outdoor uses of imidacloprid,
thiamethoxam and clothianidin
(which has no current approvals on
protected crops in theUK) was due
tobe votedon inDecember but the
votewas postponed, partly because
somemember stateswanted towait
for EFSA’s report. Thedecisionof a
court casebrought against theEC
by neonicotinoidmanufacturers,
challenging the legality of the current
restrictions, is also imminent.While
neonicotinoidswere on the agenda
of the standing committee’sMarch
meeting, Dr Hartfieldbelieves a
decision ismore likely tobemade
at its followingmeeting, inMay.
“Meanwhile, theNFU is continuing
tomake the case that evenwith
the latest report, which is based
ondraft guidance not formally
acceptedby Europeanmember
states, there is still no clear evidence
that use of these neonicotinoids has
causedwidespreaddamage tobee
populations,” he said.
