Among the gloom of recession, some good news for honeybees last week. The European Parliament’s environment committee approved (November 5), new ways criteria for assessing the risk of potentially hazardous pesticides in farming that includes better protection for bees.
The MEPs voted on proposals aimed at halving the use of toxic pesticides in European farming by 2013. And they backed plans for pesticides producers to prove that a substance does not present “acute” or “chronic” risk to bees before a product could be authorised.
MEPs also voted to ban most crop spraying by aeroplanes and insisted on buffer zones protecting areas around sources of drinking water.
The pesticide industry argues that just because a substance contains hazardous properties does not mean it cannot be used safely. They warn that banning pesticides will drive up food prices. They are supported by UK food manufacturers and the National Farmers Union.
Elliott Cannell, of the Pesticide Action Network, an environmental group with backs the proposals, said that 180 global experts on environmental health supported 100% the MEPs stance that we need tougher laws in Europe on pesticides.
UK Green MEP Caroline Lucas says the concern lies not just with the behaviour of individual chemicals, but also how they react in combinations with each other.
This is one of the points we make in A World Without Bees - that no tests are required to assess the toxicity of a cocktail of pesticides with which bees may come into contact. Some studies have shown a 1000-fold increase in toxicity when pesticides and fungicides synergise.
The EU’s latest food monitoring report revealed that a record level of pesticides are being found in food items sold in the EU, with almost half of all fruit and vegetables – the same ones pollinated by honeybees – containing pesticide residues and five percent of them at concentrations above maximum legal limits.
Lucas said this was the highest level of pesticide contamination recorded in the EU, and represents an increase of around 20% over the past five years alone.
The MEPs vote follows a first reading in July 2007 of The regulation on the authorisation of pesticides, in which they agreed a call by German Green MEP Hiltrud Breyer that pesticides would not be approved for use in the EU if they are toxic to bees. It was feared that this first reading agreement may have been diluted.
MEPS will face a showdown with EU member states which favour a more lenient approach to pesticide use. UK Conservative MEP Robert Sturdy disagrees with his colleagues reiterating the arguments of agribusiness that monthly food bills will rise.
“With the current worries over food prices and food security, it seems absurd that MEPS are voting on the these proposals without the benefit of an impact assessment to make a more informed decision,” he commented.
A final vote on the proposals is due in January. If adopted the legislation could enter into force by the middle of next year.
This is a great website, nice job. But I don’t understand who the “MEPs” are. I googled it but didn’t come up with anything. Can you explain for me?
Sam, MEPs are elected Members of the European Parliament. The MEP who was leading the move to get pesticides banned was Hiltrud Breyer from the German Green party.