LUXEMBOURG - A top European Union court on Thursday upheld the ban on three insecticides blamed for killing off bee populations, dismissing cases brought by chemicals giants Bayer and Syngenta. "The General Court confirms the validity of the restrictions introduced at EU level in 2013 against the insecticides clothianidin, thiamethoxam and imidacloprid because of the risks those substances pose to bees," a statement said. The pesticides -- clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam -- are based on the chemical structure of nicotine and attack the nervous systems of insect pests. Pesticides have been blamed as a cause of colony collapse disorder along with mites, pesticides, virus and fungus, or some combination of these factors. Last month EU countries voted for an outright ban on the use of the three neonicotinoid pesticides in fields meaning that they can only now be used in sealed greenhouses.

Source: Bangkok Post May 17, 2018 08:37 UTC