Green groups and beekeepers in Europe have taken legal action to preserve a ban on three controversial pesticides, which itself has been challenged by the pesticides' manufacturers.

The partial ban, which came into effect on 1st December, prohibits the use of three neonicotinoid pesticides (thiamethoxam, clothianidin and imidacloprid) on crops attractive to bees and at certain times of year. The measures were introduced by the EU Commission earlier in the year in response to mounting scientific evidence showing a link between the products and adverse effects on bee health.    

Key pollinators, including wild and domestic bees, are undergoing declines across the Northern Hemisphere. On Monday, a coalition of organisations including Greenpeace, Bee Life European Beekeeping Coordination, Pesticides Action Network Europe and Buglife applied to intervene at the European Court of Justice, in a bid to defend the Commission's EU-wide partial ban.

The EU measures have been challenged by chemical companies Syngenta and Bayer, manufacturers of the restricted products.

Commenting on the action, Greenpeace EU agriculture policy director Marco Contiero said, "Bayer and Syngenta have unleashed their lawyers to attack a ban which is scientifically rigorous, legally sound and helps protect the general interests of European farmers and consumers The partial ban of these three pesticides is only a first but necessary step to protect bees in Europe. It must be defended from the attacks of companies pursuing their private interests to the detriment of our environment."

Matthias Wüthrich, European bees project leader at Greenpeace Switzerland, added, "There are still major scientific gaps in research on how bees are exposed to neonicotinoids… The current precautionary EU ban is not only justified, but must be strengthened and broadened."

The UK government declared in September that it rejects current neonicotinoid science and said that the lack of solid information on the links between neonicotinoid use and bee decline justify its opposition to the Commission's restrictions. Environmentalists, on the other hand claim the government stance ignores the precautionary principle, which informs the scientific thought behind modern environmental protection efforts.  

UK Government science agency FERA conducted its own field study on neonicotinoids and bee health earlier in the year, after EU food safety watchdog EFSA supported the findings of scientists studying the effects of neonicotinoids in prestigious journal Science. The study was not peer reviewed and instead the results (which were inconclusive) were released directly onto the internet. In June, EFSA evaluated the government research and found it to be worthless, concluding that "Given [several identified] weaknesses, the Authority considers that the study does not affect the conclusions reached by EFSA regarding risks for bees related to the use of the neonicotinoid pesticides."