The ban was imposed in July, with the commission claiming fipronil’s use in seed treatment was linked to declining bee populations. BASF, meanwhile, has filed legal action with the General Court of the EU because "valid scientific studies and
evidence were not properly taken into account".
According to a risk assessment published in March by the European Food Safety Authority, bees are exposed to fipronil ‘toxicity’ through nectar, pollen and guttation fluid, the assessment. The ban follows similar EU curbs imposed in April on three of the world’s most widely-used pesticides, known as neonicotinoids, and reflects growing concern in Europe over a recent plunge in the population of honey bees critical to crop pollination and production.
According to BASF, the decline in bee populations is caused by multiple and complex factors and the restriction of its pesticide won’t help protect bees.
