Syngenta seeks ‘emergency’ exemption to use banned neonicotinoids on UK crops

Almost one-third of all oilseed rape in the UK could be treated with a banned insecticide if the government grants an “emergency” exemption to the pesticide manufacturer Syngenta, it has emerged.

Syngenta’s neonicotinoid pesticide was given a two-year ban by the European Union in 2013 due to research linking it to serious harm in bees.

The news of Syngenta’s application comes a day after an international scientific review concluded there was “clear evidence of [neonicotinoid] harm sufficient to trigger regulatory action”. Neonicotinoids are the world’s most widely used insecticide and the panel said contamination was so pervasive it threatened global food production.

“Syngenta has made this emergency use application on behalf of UK farmers for a limited use of neonicotinoid seed treatment in two specific contexts where alternative approaches are not effective and a danger to production exists,” said a company spokesman. He noted that the application was supported by the government’s Advisory Committee on Pesticides (ACP), which confirmed the criteria for authorisation had been met. “Given this assessment we urge the government to support farmers and allow limited use this season.”

Syngenta argues that seed treatments with neonicotinoids are needed to protect rape sown by mid-August from aphid damage and crops in areas where flea beetle pressure is historically high. It says there are no available alternatives. The exemption would allow up to 186,000 hectares of oilseed rape – 30% of the total crop area – to be planted with seeds treated with the insecticide. Bayer, another major neonicotinoid manufacturer, is not applying for an exemption.

The environment secretary, Owen Paterson, the National Farmers Union (NFU) and the ACP all opposed the EU neonicotinoid ban, arguing there was insufficient proof of harm. The Bee Coalition of eight UK NGOs said it regarded Syngenta’s request as a deliberate attempt to undermine the EU ban, which Syngenta is also challenging in court.

“This is a clear attempt by Syngenta and the NFU to undermine the EU ban which they so bitterly opposed by the back door,” said Nick Mole, of Pesticide Action Network UK, a member of the Bee Coalition.

Matt Shardlow, chief executive of Buglife, another member of the Bee Coalition, said: “Flea beetles are adequately controlled by alternative pesticides. The reinstatement of bee-killing neonicotinoids on winter rape is definitely not justified. If the government approves this kneejerk and cynical application then the public are bound to question whether ministers are too close to the agrochemicals companies and too distant from the ecology that feeds us.”

There is little evidence that neonicotinoids benefit crop production, according to Prof Dave Goulson, at the University of Sussex and part of the panel behind Tuesday’s major report: “There is no evidence that we need to be using these chemicals on anything like the scale we are.”

However, an NFU spokesman said: “We believe this application is necessary to effectively control major pests, which have already damaged a number of spring crops and have the potential to decimate autumn-sown oilseed rape. These impacts of the restrictions on certain uses of neonicotinoid were not well considered by the European commission.”

A spokesman for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “We can confirm we received an application for the emergency authorisation of a neonicotinoid in accordance with EU rules. As this is still under consideration it would not be appropriate to comment further.”