Portugal was one of the European Union countries that voted to ban three products that had been in use for 25 years
“Neonicotinoids have been shown to harm bees, other pollinators and the environment as a whole,” and their “toxicity to human health” has also been proven, Quercus pointed out in a statement.
The three products had already been banned in crops that attract bees, but they continued to harm these insects as they “are highly persistent in the environment.”
“Most member states have given a clear signal that our agriculture needs to evolve,” the organisation said of the “historic vote.”
The Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, where all member states are represented, gave the green light to the proposal to restrict the use of three substances harmful to bees known as neonicotinoids: imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam.
The proposal will be formally adopted by Brussels in the coming weeks and will come into force at the end of the year.