Investigation reveals Government failed to comply with law over banned pesticides - Butterfly Conservation

Butterfly Conservation has said it is deeply concerned and disappointed after an investigation found the Government failed to comply with environmental law when allowing the use of banned pesticides.

The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) has concluded that the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) broke the rules when granting 'emergency authorisation' for farmers to use banned neonicotinoid pesticides.

The UK banned the use of several neonicotinoid pesticides in 2018, but has granted 'derogations' in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 for sugar beet farmers to combat aphids causing a disease known as ‘Virus Yellows’.

Since the current Government came to power in 2024 it has pledged several times to institute a complete ban on these chemicals, but not done so.

DEFRA has now pledged to ‘update its process’ for deciding whether to grant 'emergency authorisations' to ensure that it makes 'proper assessment of potential environmental harms'.