bumblebee

Friends of the Earth has taken the first formal legal steps over the government’s decision to permit the use of 'bee-harming' pesticides inEngland despite a Europe-wide ban.

The group has written a judicial review pre-action letter to environment secretary, Liz Truss MP, as the prospective defendant.

Theaction has been taken after Defra and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) allegedlyfailed to supply Friends of the Earth with information on the criteria andprocess used to permit a derogation from the EU ban, despite being askednumerous times for this information.

Friends of the Earth’s senior naturecampaigner, Paul De Zylva, said: 'The government’s authorisations for the use of these pesticides for a limited period this autumn appear to contain no conditions to address concerns about the risk to bees from their use, nor any reasons to explain why the authorisations are regarded as a necessary 'emergency' measure.

'Friends of the Earth’s action will require Defra to release properinformation about the government’s basis for this decision, and details ofwhat controls are in place regarding the use of pesticides, which willdetermine whether or not the legal challenge will proceed.'

He added: “The huge public interest in bee decline and pesticide use contrasts with the government’s excessive secrecy and handling of this decision to let bee-harming pesticides back into our fields this autumn.

'Ministers pledged their decisions would be based on science but it has beenhard obtaining information, including about the scientific basis, despiterepeat requests.

'We have now sent a legal letter because of the lack of information, raisingconcerns about the decision-making process and the lawfulness of thedecision.”