Géraldine Viret, spokesperson for the Swiss NGO Public Eye, alert on neonicotinoid insecticides, she denounces “a situation of political hypocrisy”. The use of three types of neonicotinoids has been banned in the European Union since 2018 because they are considered harmful to pollinating insects, especially bees. An investigation by the British branch of Greenpeace and the NGO Public Eye reveals that despite this ban, some fifteen countries including France still manufacture these insecticides “bee killers” to export them.
New survey with @UE: Thousands of tonnes of “bee killers” are exported from the European Union, where they are banned, to countries important for the # biodiversity. The Basel giant @Syngenta is the leader of this trade. https://t.co/46urpga0CW #neonicotinoids
– Public Eye (@PublicEyeSuisse) November 18, 2021
This study exposes for the first time the extent of exports from the European Union. “What initially revolted us is that the volumes are enormous“, explains Geraldine Viret. “We have nearly 3,900 tonnes of neonicotinoid production in just four months, so around 20 million hectares of crops. This corresponds to all of France’s arable land. These are huge areas.” The survey highlights that 90% of these exports go to low and middle income countries, and that many of these countries are crucial areas for biodiversity. This is the case of Brazil, which is the main market.
To carry out this study, Greenpeace and Public Eye relied on the export notifications that arrive to the competent European authorities. “These are not necessarily the quantities that are actually sent to these countries, but it is the most exhaustive source of information that we could have”, specifies the spokesperson. According to the two NGOs, the leading exporter is the Swiss giant Syngenta, with nearly 3,500 tonnes exported, which corresponds to three quarters of all exports. France ranks second, after Belgium, with 157 tonnes exported over four months.
Greenpeace and Public Eye denounce “a situation of political hypocrisy”. “We have banned the use of these three extremely hazardous substances on all outdoor crops, but we continue to allow industry to export them to other countries.”, Geraldine Viret point. A situation that will change in France, since the country has pronounced a ban on these exports which will be in force from 2022. Discussions on the subject are now being held within the European Commission.
“The European Commission wants to end imports of foods that contain traces of neonicotinoids, but it continues to tolerate exports.”
Géraldine Viret, spokesperson for the Swiss NGO Public Eyeto franceinfo
The NGOs denounce the hypocritical behavior of the Commission with “a double standard where we protect human health, the environment at home, but we close our eyes to the export of these substances and their effects to third countries.”
Discussions in autumn 2020 resulted in the desire to put an end to these exports. “The position of the European Commission remains ambiguous”, for Geraldine Viret. “We really hope that this will will resist the pressures of the member states which are endowed with a powerful lobby of pesticides like Germany.”