EU: No decision on neonicotinoids

Pesticide spraying is the most usual method in the agroindustry. Photo Pixabay

Although it is high time to impose an immediate ban on the three insecticides clothianidine, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam, the Member States are pushing for a decision. And Germany plays an inglorious role in this.

Martin Häusling, spokesman on agricultural policy for the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament and member of the EU Environment Committee says: "The expertise of the European Food Safety Authority Efsa on the dangerousness of the three substances in the neonicotinoids class for the insect world is clear enough. Nevertheless, under pressure from the agricultural industry in today's Standing Committee, they apparently urged the member states to take a decision against these substances, which are dangerous for nature, in good time before sowing.″

Germany ignores its goals of preserving biodiversity

"Germany once again seems to play a particularly inglorious role and is once again trampling underfoot the self-proclaimed goals of preserving biodiversity. In the meantime it has become clear that not only Federal Minister of Agriculture Julia Klöckner (CDU) ignores elementary aspects of a future-oriented agriculture, which is to be expected, but also the SPD.
Hardly in office, the new federal government voted for the import approval of a genetically modified sugar beet. So far, it has been customary for Germany to abstain on these issues, as no agreement could be reached between the Union-led Ministry of Agriculture and the SPD-led Ministry of the Environment", Häusling stated.

And further he commented: "But now it becomes clear that the new SPD minister Svenja Schulze also misunderstands her task if she lets such decisions, which are entirely in the tradition of the previous CSU minister of agriculture Christian Schmidt, pass without comment. What kind of government hides the interests of the people even in the first days of their term of office? We expect at least a minimal commitment to the interests of consumers and nature. This no longer seems to be to be expected from the CDU and unfortunately also from the SPD."