In late March 2013 the European Union (EU) failed to uphold the European Commission (EC) call for a two-year ban on neonicotinoid pesticides. However, the good news is that thanks to concerted EU-wide citizens’ actions and petitions in favour of the EC proposal, enough support was secured amongst member states for the ban to be enforced. Worryingly, the UK’s environment minister, Owen Paterson, fought tooth and nail against the ban and, according to Greenpeace, actually lobbied on behalf of chemical giants Syngenta and Bayer.
Whilst citizens’ action groups are celebrating a great victory, it ...
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