Home / Environment / UK Govt Broke Env Law on Bee Pesticide Use
UK Govt Broke Env Law on Bee Pesticide Use
2 Jul
Summary
- Defra failed to consider protected sites' impact when authorizing pesticides.
- One teaspoon of banned pesticide kills 1.25 billion honeybees.
- Government pledged to ban emergency pesticide authorisations for three neonicotinoids.
The UK government has been found to have breached environmental law multiple times regarding emergency pesticide authorisations. The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP), England's environmental watchdog, concluded that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) failed to comply with environmental legislation on four occasions in 2023 and 2024.
These failures included not considering the impact of authorisations on protected sites and not mitigating known risks to these areas. The pesticide in question, Cruiser SB, contains thiamethoxam, a substance so potent that a single teaspoon can kill 1.25 billion honeybees. This neglect, according to critics, could have had severe consequences for wildlife.
Following the OEP's investigation, the government has committed to banning emergency authorisations for three banned neonicotinoids. However, other neonicotinoids are still in use, with a recent emergency authorisation granted for Insyst SG. Environmental groups urge a complete ban on these pesticides and support for nature-friendly farming methods.
Defra has proposed to update its assessment process for emergency authorisations to explicitly include potential impacts on protected sites, a move welcomed as a step forward. The OEP will monitor the implementation of this updated process, expected by November 2026. Concerns remain about confidence in the government's environmental commitments.
