EU-28: Implications of Restricted Use for Neonics in the EU
On April 27, 2018, a majority of the Member States approved three draft Commission implementing regulations further restricting the use of neonicotinoids at the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (PAFF). These draft implementing regulations will ban all uses for Clothianidin, Imidacloprid and Thiamethoxam except for the application in permanent greenhouses in the EU. The European Commission deems these measures necessary to address alleged risks to bees according to the updated risk assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The Commission will adopt the regulation in the coming weeks, which means that the restrictions could be in place by the end of June 2018. There are no implications expected for the maximum residue levels (MRLs) and import tolerances for these substances, but USEU/FAS will continue to monitor.