High risks of clothianidin and imidacloprid to bees identified by EFSA

On November 8, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published conclusions on the peer reviews of the pesticide risk assessments for two neonicotinoid insecticides clothianidin and imidacloprid in light of confirmatory data submitted.

 

EFSA concluded that for all the uses for which confirmatory data on clothianidin and imidacloprid have been presented, high risks were identified or could not be excluded, or the risk assessment could not be finalised.

 

The European Commission restricted the use of three neonicotinoid pesticides for two years in 2013 to provide for specific risk mitigation measures for the protection of bees. Then the Commission requested EFSA to provide a conclusion concerning an updated risk assessment for bees for theses pesticide, taking into account all uses other than seed treatments and granules, including foliar spray uses. 

Access to the original publications here: 

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2016.4606/full

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2016.4607/full