Key facts
- The UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) breached environmental law on four occasions.
- These breaches occurred when granting emergency authorizations for a banned neonicotinoid pesticide containing thiamethoxam.
- The pesticide was used on sugar beet crops in 2023 and 2024.
- The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) found Defra failed to consider impacts on protected sites and mitigate risks.
- In response, the government pledged to ban emergency authorizations for three banned neonicotinoids.
The UK government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) breached environmental law on multiple occasions when granting emergency authorizations for a pesticide harmful to bees, according to a watchdog report. The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) found Defra failed to comply with the law four times in 2023 and 2024 when allowing farmers to use a banned neonicotinoid pesticide, containing thiamethoxam, on sugar beet crops.
These failures included not considering the pesticide's impact on protected environmental sites and not adequately mitigating known risks. Prof Dave Goulson, a bee expert, stated that one teaspoon of the active ingredient thiamethoxam is sufficient to kill 1.25 billion honeybees. Dr Doug Parr of Greenpeace UK described the situation as "absolutely shocking neglect" with "deadly ramifications for our beleaguered wildlife."
Following the OEP's investigation, launched after a complaint by the campaign group ClientEarth, the government has pledged to ban emergency authorizations for three banned neonicotinoids. Defra has also proposed updating its assessment process for emergency authorizations to explicitly include potential impacts on protected sites, a move welcomed by ClientEarth UK. However, concerns remain about confidence in the government's commitment to environmentally friendly farming practices.