Khushi
European Court refused Justice Bayer’s appeal to overturn a lower EU court’s 2018 decision.
The ruling applies to three active substances namely, imidacloprid, developed by Bayer CropScience, clothianidin, developed by Takeda Chemical Industries and Bayer CropScience, and thiamethoxam, developed by Syngenta.
The Commission restricted the use of neonicotinoids as they could not be used on maize, rapeseed, or spring cereals.
The EU’s highest court dismissed the appeal of Bayer which claimed that the restrictions were based on insufficient new scientific knowledge.
The Court ordered Bayer to bear its own costs plus those of other parties.
A Bayer spokesperson expressed disappointment with the verdict and stood by the safety of the products.
These protocols are used in other regions with appropriate risk mitigation measures.
“The Court of Justice has reaffirmed that protecting nature and people’s health takes precedence over the narrow economic interests of powerful multinationals,” said Greenpeace legal strategist Andrea Carta.
EU granted 206 emergency authorizations between 2013 and 2019 despite the ban.
Last year, EU auditors stated that this pesticide use, while legal, was thought to be the cause of honeybee losses.
The Commission proposed a 50% reduction in the use of chemical pesticides in the EU to protect bees.