Bayer CropScience welcomes the proportionate response of Member States on EU Commission proposal on neonicotinoids
The company will continue to engage further in dialogue to support the safe use of neonicotinoid products.
Bayer CropScience welcomes the fact that no consensus was reached by the EU Member States in favor of the European Commission’s proposals regarding the use of most applications of neonicotinoid-containing products. This provides hope to European farmers, that they can continue to have access to safe and effective crop protection products supporting their ability to grow safe, high-quality, affordable food. The failure to reach a conclusive decision is a clear recognition that there is no convincing argument against the continuing use of neonicotinoid-based products.
Bayer CropScience believes this response provides an opportunity to reach a fair and just outcome as the European Commission has relied too heavily on the precautionary principle, without taking the principle of proportionality into account. Not only had the Commission incorrectly based their rationale on recent EFSA reviews of these products, they had failed to make the appropriate impact assessments of any decisions they proposed on the broader interests of European stakeholders.
The company continues to believe that any political decision relating to registrations of neonicotinoid-containing products, should be based on clear, scientific evidence of adverse effects of the affected products under realistic conditions of use, including the extensive stewardship measures that are in place in the field. There has been a long history of the safe use of neonicotinoid insecticides and it is clear that when they are used responsibly and properly, any impact on bees is negligible. This has already been confirmed by the competent EU and Member State authorities in their market authorization assessments, based on the extensive safety data that had previously been submitted and proven in many monitoring studies.
As a responsible corporate citizen, Bayer CropScience is strongly committed to supporting the responsible use of neonicotinoids and will continue to engage further in dialogue with stakeholders, EU and Member States authorities.