Legal fight looms over pesticide approval
The battle over Britain’s approval of a pesticide that is banned by the EU has got the Wildlife Trusts angry
THE Wildlife Trusts’ are planning a legal challenge to the Government’s approval of a pesticide banned in the EU.
Lawyers from the Trusts – which include county branches in the South West – have contacted the Environment Secretary, George Eustice, MP for Camborne and Redruth, to question his decision to allow the emergency use of the neonicotinoid Thiamethoxam for sugar beet.
A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesman said: “Emergency authorisations for pesticides are only granted in exceptional circumstances where diseases or pests cannot be controlled by any other reasonable means. Emergency authorisations are used by countries across Europe.
“Pesticides can only be used where we judge there to be no harm to human health and animal health and no unacceptable risks to the environment. The temporary use of this product is strictly limited to a non-flowering crop and will be tightly controlled to minimise any potential risk to pollinators.”
But the Wildlife Trusts say they believe the action may have been unlawful and are planning to challenge the decision in the courts unless Government can prove otherwise.
In 2018 the UK Expert Committee on Pesticides refused a similar application because of unacceptable environmental risks. The Wildlife Trusts contend that no new evidence has been provided to support the Government’s decision and therefore the ban should stay.
Additionally, The Wildlife Trusts believe that the Environment Secretary has not proved that there is no alternative to using neonicotinoids; nor has he explained what action he is taking to ensure the emergency authorisation is not repeated indefinitely. The Wildlife Trusts are deeply concerned that the current derogation applies for three years and that further derogations could be allowed for a further block of three years.
Craig Bennett, chief executive of The Wildlife Trusts, said: “We are preparing to take legal action unless the Government can prove it acted lawfully. The Government refused a
‘What’s changed? Where’s the new evidence it is okay to use this harmful pesticide?’ CRAIG BENNETT
request for emergency authorisation in 2018 and we want to know what’s changed. Where’s the new evidence that it’s ok to use this extremely harmful pesticide?”
He said over 56,000 people have signed The Wildlife Trusts’ petition in the last few days to ask the Prime Minister to overturn the neonics decision. For Labour, Devonport MP and Shadow Environment spokesman Luke Pollard is leading the campaign to have the decision overturned. Sugar beet farmers will be preparing for this year’s crop shortly.