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EU set to completely ban outdoor use of three neonic insecticides

Member States' representatives in a Standing Committee have backed a proposal by the European Commission to further restrict the use of three active substances (imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam, known as "neonicotinoids") for which…
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EU to vote on neonicotinoids ban on April 27

The Directorate General for Health (DG Sante) of the European Commission has confirmed that EU Member States will be invited to vote on its proposal to ban all outdoor uses of neonicotinoids on 27 April. European Commission restricted the use…
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Endocrine disruptors criteria will apply in EU from October

On April 20th, 2018 the Official Journal of the European Union has published COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) 2018/605 of 19 April 2018 amending Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 by setting out scientific criteria for the determination of endocrine…

EU to subject Ugandan agro-products to rigorous checks over fall armyworms

The European Union (EU) will start this June subject Uganda's agro-products to rigorous checks due to the fall armyworm, a senior government official has said. Steven Byantware, Commissioner for Crop Protection told a farmers' meeting that EU's…

European-origin pathogen poses big threat to potato crop in India

A rapidly evolving pathogen from Europe may spell doom for India’s potato yield, an essential staple crop that also fetches good income to millions of farmers. Scientists at the West Bengal State University have found 19 unique and highly…

Potato Blight Trends in Europe: EuroBlight 2017 Results

The EuroBlight project is examining the ongoing evolution of the potato late blight pathogen (Phytophthora infestans). In 2017, almost 1500 samples from 16 countries in Europe were genotyped. The results indicate that new clones continue to…

3,135 tonnes of pesticide used in Ireland in 2016

New data from the Irish Department of Agriculture reveals that 3,135 tonnes of pesticides were used in Ireland in 2016. Pesticide sprays include herbicides, fungicides, insecticides and other industrial chemicals. The 2016 data points to an…

UK ministers want temporary control of devolved areas post-Brexit

The UK government has named 24 devolved areas where it wants to temporarily retain power following Brexit. Ministers in the Scottish and Welsh governments want subjects such as food labelling and animal welfare to come under their control. However,…
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Australia approves field trial for RMIT University's GM buffalo grass

The Australian Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) recently issued a licence in response to application DIR 156, authorising the limited and controlled release (field trial) of buffalo grass genetically modified (GM) for herbicide…