DDT? Don't look at the headline, look at where they suspend the rules.
In Europe, the interaction of the phenomenon of "dying bees" with imidacloprid has been discussed for quite some time now.[SUP]
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[54][/SUP] It was a study from the "Comité Scientifique et Technique (CST)" which was in the center of discussion, which led to a partial ban of imidacloprid in France. The imidacloprid pesticide Gaucho was banned, in 1999 by the French Minister of Agriculture
Jean Glavany, primarily due to concern over potential effects on honey bees.[SUP]
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[57][/SUP] Consequently when
fipronil, a phenylpyrazole insecticide and in Europe mainly labeled "Regent", was used as a replacement, it was also found to be toxic to bees, and banned partially in France in 2004.[SUP]
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In February 2007, about forty French deputies, led by
UMP member
Jacques Remiller, requested the creation of a Parliamentary Investigation Commission on Overmortality of Bees, underlining that honey production was decreasing by 1,000 tons a year for a decade. As of August 2007, no investigations were yet opened.[SUP]
[59][/SUP] Five other insecticides based on fipronil were also accused of killing bees. However, the scientific committees of the European Union are still of the opinion "that the available monitoring studies were mainly performed in France and EU-member-states should consider the relevance of these studies for the circumstances in their country".[SUP]
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Around the same time French beekeepers succeeded in banning neonicotinoids, the Clinton administration permitted pesticides which were previously banned,[SUP]
[61][/SUP] including imidacloprid. In 2004, the Bush Administration reduced regulations further and pesticide applications increased.[SUP]
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