France will take a radical step towards protecting its dwindling bee population on Saturday by becoming the first country in Europe to ban all five pesticides researchers believe are killing off the insects.
negotiations on a free trade agreement between EFTA and Indonesia were concluded in substance, with Switzerland acting as lead negotiator.
Neonicotinoids, or neonics, will be banned for outdoor use in Europe thanks to environmental concerns. The European Union plans to ban the world’s most widely used insecticides in an effort to protect bees and other valuable pollinator insects.
A majority of EU member states do not want neonicotinoids in the fields. Many German politicians and nature conservation groups cheer, but not everyone welcomes the free-range ban on insecticides.