
A Commission proposal to restrict the use of Fipronil,
an insecticide which has recently been identified as posing an acute risk to
Europe's honey bee population, was backed by Member State experts meeting in
the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health.
This proposal
follows a scientific risk assessment carried out by the European Food Safety
Authority (EFSA) that was published on 27 May 2013 which identified that seeds
treated with pesticides containing Fipronil pose an acute risk to Europe's
honey bee population.
Tonio Borg, Commissioner for Health said "A few weeks
ago, in the aftermath of the restriction on use of neonicotinoids, I pledged to
do my utmost to protect Europe's honey bee population and today's agreement
with Member States, not only delivers on that pledge but marks another
significant step in realising the Commission's overall strategy to tackling
Europe's bee decline." 23 Member States supported the restriction, 2 Member
States voted against and 3 Member States abstained during the standing
committee vote.