Syngenta has submitted a legal challenge to the European Commission’s decision to suspend the use of thiamethoxam on bee-attractive crops. The Commission took the decision on the basis of a flawed process, an inaccurate and incomplete assessment by the European Food Safety Authority and without the full support of EU member states.
Syngenta Chief Operating Officer John Atkin, said: “We would prefer not to take legal action but have no other choice given our firm belief that the Commission wrongly linked thiamethoxam to the decline in bee health. In suspending the product, it breached EU pesticide legislation and incorrectly applied the precautionary principle.
“Since the EU suspension of thiamethoxam was announced, farmers and farmer organizations have expressed great concern that an extremely effective, low dose product will not be available to them and will have to be replaced by much less sustainable alternatives. Modern products like thiamethoxam are essential to address the challenge of increasing European food production and reducing the reliance on imports.”
先正达呼吁所有利益相关者专注于蜜蜂健康的实用解决方案，大多数专家认为蜜蜂健康受到疾病、病毒以及栖息地和营养丧失的损害。该公司确认其承诺支持在欧洲扩展 Operation Pollinator 和蜜蜂健康行动计划，该计划于 2013 年 4 月发布。
For more information on Syngenta’s contribution to bee health visit: www.operationpollinator.com.