Regarding last friday's approval of the EU Member States in Brussels for a proposal by the EU Commission to severely restrict the use of neonicotinoids, Federal Minister of Agriculture Julia Klöckner declared: "Today is a good day for the protection of bees in Germany and in Europe. In Brussels, we voted to only use neonicotinoids in greenhouses in the future - ie where they will not harm the bees. I am pleased that the majority of Member States have taken this step towards more beekeeping with us. Bees are systemically important - also for the preservation of our agriculture. We made that clear again today with the vote in Brussels. "

The Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed, in which all EU Member States are represented, approved today with a majority of the Member States a proposal for a regulation by the EU Commission, the plant protection agents Imidacloprid, Thiamethoxam, Clothianidin from the group of neonicotinoids continue to approve for outdoor cultures. The application should be limited to future on greenhouses. EFSA scientists at the European Agency for Food Safety consider the three active substances to be a risk to bee health.